Motoko's Happily Ever After
by Roxas4ever
Summary: Motoko, president of the Prince Yuki Fan Club, has had her heart set on living happily ever after with her beloved Prince Yuki. There's only one thing stopping her: Tohru Honda. What happens when Motoko befriends Tohru, just to get her hands on Yuki?
1. President Motoko

I have to admit, Motoko is a character who has always intrueged me...she is an evil, over obsessive person who, at the same time is just a girl in love. I think I actually relate to her the best out of all the female Fruits Basket characters :)

**Motoko's Happily Ever After**

"There, perfect!" School was never too terribly interesting for the students at Kawiia High. However, right now, one student was ecstatic. Motoko Minagawa, third year student, had just finished doodling a picture of someone in her notebook, and was now musing over her success. The object of her creativity? Yuki Sohma. While Yuki was a year younger than her, Motoko had been obsessed with him ever since the first time she saw him. So much so, that she was actually the leader of the "Prince Yuki Fan Club": a club that devoted it's time to protecting and obsessing over Yuki (who is oblivious to much of their activity).

"Hmm, it's still missing something…", she said to herself, chewing on her pen cap. Flipping open her folder, she found a picture of Yuki and compared it to her sketch. "Something's missing…I can't put my finger on it…". Thoroughly examining the photo, it hit Motoko. "It's his aura, of course! I forgot his princely sparkle!" She sighed. "But how could one portray such beauty on paper? How could anyone capture his magnificence in ink?" Frustrated, she shoved her drawing in her folder, and started tapping her pen on her desk. Much to her surprise, and delight, the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.

Rushing out of the classroom, Motoko was met in the hallway by a group of three girls, all her juniors, and also members of the "Prince Yuki Fan Club".

"Motoko-senpai!" a girl with pigtails said, addressing Motoko. "We need to have an emergency meeting…NOW!"

A few minutes later, the three girls and Motoko were sitting in an empty classroom. Closing the door, Motoko whipped around. "So, what did you want to discuss?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Oh, it's terrible! Simply dreadful!" one of the girls (this time one with brown hair), gushed. "It's so aw-".

The girl with pigtails cut her off. "Motoko, we heard Tohru Honda telling that Yankee that she'll be eating dinner with the Prince tonight!"

Motoko gasped. "Prince Yuki is eating dinner with…TOHRU HONDA? This is unacceptable! Who knows what evil spells that witch could inflict on our poor Yuki-kun!"

One of the girls (a black haired one who had stayed quiet up until this point) piped up. "You know, she HAS been spending a lot of time around the Prince lately…you don't think anything's developed between them…do you!"

"Number Two, don't say such things! Yuki would never fall for a girl, like HER!" The pigtail girl exploded.

"Calm down, Minami! Number Two has a valid point…", Motoko mused. "Hmm…he and Tohru have been seen together a lot lately…I wonder…". Her hand curled up into a fist. "No! We must separate those two! Tohru would only cause trouble for our sweet prince. We must find out what is going on between them!"

"But how are we to do that?" Minami asked.

"Leave it to me…I'll have an idea for you by tomorrow…"

It was a beautiful afternoon. The snow had melted, and spring was in full bloom. Flowers opened their buds up to the soft sunlight. A gentle breeze picked up loose petals, and carried them along.

Motoko walked along the sidewalk, clinging onto her school bag. Today had been long, not to mention bad. The teacher had called on her in first period, but she hadn't completed her homework, so she made a fool of herself trying to answer the question. To make matters worse, lunch had been another lonely experience. And this matter between the Honda girl and the Prince didn't help. Motoko sighed unhappily. Suddenly, her ears perked up at the sound of voices. As she passed by a row of hedges, she could hear a group of people on the other side.

"So, what should we have tonight? Maybe…soup? Hana gave me a wonderful recipe for soup the other day", a girl's voice said.

"Just as long as you don't put any leeks in it!" another voice, a guy's voice, exclaimed.

Then, Motoko heard a sound that made her heart skip a beat. "Shut up you stupid cat! That sounds wonderful, Miss Honda. I look forward to having some". It was Yuki.

Now Motoko was walking in step with the three on the other side of the hedge. She continued eavesdropping.

"WHO YOU CALLIN' STUPID, RAT BOY!"

Motoko heard a pause in the conversation, then Yuki talking to whom Motoko assumed was Tohru. "I wonder why Haru and Momiji aren't walking home with us today?"

The other guy's voice, which Motoko had now figured to be that orange-headed relative of the Prince, spoke up. "Haru said something to me about getting detention, and that little brat Momiji is probably off skipping through a field of daisies somewhere…"

Motoko was confused. Who were Haru and Momiji? And why did Kyo call Yuki rat boy? Deep in thought, she didn't see the end of the row of hedges coming up, and she practically walked right into the three as they appeared.

"HEY, WATCH IT!" Kyo yelled, jumping to the side right before Motoko bumped into him.

"Miss Minagawa?" Yuki stopped, looking at Motoko.

She snapped back to reality, and, after she realized what had happened, she went a deep shade of red. "I…I'm sorry", she muttered. Man, this was so embarrassing! She had made a fool of herself in front of the Prince, by practically walking into his cousin! "I'm so stupid sometimes!" she thought to herself. A voice interrupted her thought.

"Need help with that?"

Motoko looked to see that, without realizing it, she had dropped her bag. Then it registered in her brain who's voice it was. Looking at Tohru's smiling face, she started to shake with rage. "Yo-you!" Tohru looked taken aback. Motoko saw Yuki watching her, and started muttering nervously. "Uh..um…sorry…". She scrambled to grab her bag. "I…I have to go". Then, as fast as humanly possible, she ran in the opposite direction.

That night, Motoko lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Why…why did it have to be this way? Why must every time she see Yuki, she make a fool of herself? "He must think I'm stupid", she cried, hugging a pillow (which had Yuki's face printed on it). "This is all my fault, if I had watched where I was going…". She stopped, eyes wide open. "No…no, it's not my fault…it's…that Honda girl…". Her misery turned into anger. "Yes, it's all her fault! If she had never messed with Yuki in the first place, I would have never had to had this little incident, or any of the ones in the past…IT'S HER FAULT!"

Motoko angrily beat her pillow (not the one with Yuki's face on it. Come on, she'd never hurt the Prince:P). "We…I…must figure out how to infiltrate Tohru and Yuki-kun's relations…see what is really going on…and find a way to free the Prince from her evil spell! But how?" Motoko sat up, staring out her window. Somewhere, right now, Yuki was eating a late dinner with the Honda girl in question. Somewhere, right now, Tohru was taking the place at the table that should have belonged to Motoko. Somewhere, right now, Tohru Honda was close to the beloved Prince Yuki. Tohru…close to Yuki…so, to be near Yuki…one would have to be close to Tohru… Motoko's lips curled into a devious smile as an idea formulated in her mind…


	2. An Evil Plan

Hey, it's me! So, I finally found time to write the next chapter, I hope you like it! -Maple Chan

The next day, before school…

"So, what's the plan?"

"Does it involve torturing Tohru Honda?"

Motoko let out a sigh of frustration. "Will you calm down! Let me tell you!"

Number Two continued, though. "Does it involve getting her to join the Prince Yuki Fan Club, then placing explosives in her club pin and blowing her up!" Excited at the thought, she looked at the others to see what they thought off it. The looks on their faces told her that she was crazy.

"Ok..ay…anyway…", Motoko continued. "I thought about it and came to the conclusion that they only way to separate this Honda girl from our beloved Prince is to tear them apart from the inside out…". The other three girls pulled faces. Motoko stomped her foot. "Metaphorically speaking! (geez, do I have to spell it out for you?)! To break their friendship by getting between them!" Comprehension dawned on their faces.

Minami rose her hand, stumped. "How do you purpose we do that!" she asked.

"I will befriend this 'Tohru Honda', and find out what everything I can about her. Then I will use what ever dirt I find against her, and our sweet Yuki will never want to look at her face again!" The girls clapped for Motoko, encouraged by this ingenious solution to their "Tohru" problem. Just then, the warning bell sounded.

"Oh, that's the bell. We have two minutes to get to class! Gotta run!"

Motoko watched as her three juniors dashed down the hall. As they disappeared around a corner, Motoko smirked to herself. What fools. Heartless, idiotic fools. People who were her competition for Yuki, as every girl in the school was. How she hated competition. Curling her hands into fists, she proceeded to her classroom. Being they were her competition, there was no way Motoko was following through with the plan she had told them. She wasn't befriending Tohru to chase her away from Yuki, but to get close to Yuki. If she were to hang out with Tohru, she would be able to converse with her beloved Yuki-kun on a day to day basis. And, when the time came, she would be able to steal Yuki from Tohru…and there was no way she was sharing him with anyone. Not even the club.

Lunchtime. One of the most looked forward to part of the day for some, the most dreaded for others. This was a time where friends caught up on gossip, clique boundaries were drawn out, and the nearly inedible substance that spawned from the school kitchen was consumed. Ah, yes, it was lunchtime.

Carrying her tray, Motoko stopped in front of the rows of tables. This was the part Motoko hated the most: finding a place to sit. Today, however, was different; today, she had a mission. Locating her target, Motoko swooped in on the prey. Good, Tohru was sitting alone today. From what Motoko had heard, supposedly that Yankee was skipping school, and the Goth had come down with the flu. Approaching Tohru, she stopped right in front of her. Clearing her throat, she stuttered. "Do you think it would be okay if I sat by you today?"

Tohru lifted her head, to see who was speaking. Her face showed signs of surprise as she recognized her addresser. "Umm, sure". She scooted over a spot, making room for Motoko.

The President of the Prince Yuki Fan Club picked through her food lazily. "Yuck, it looks like they covered the 'chicken' (we're not sure if that's what it really is) with pureed miso…AGAIN. I swear, one of these days this cafeteria food is going to kill me".

Tohru shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I hope I don't sound rude, but…umm…why did you choose to sit by me?"

Motoko stopped mixing her food, and looked at Tohru. "Well, you were sitting by yourself, and I thought you needed some company. The worst thing that can happen to a person is for them to find themselves completely and utterly alone, or at least that's what I believe".

Tohru sighed happily. Motoko was just looking out for her! It looked like this fan club girl wasn't so bad after all! Returning to her food, Tohru started chattering away. "That's something my mom used to say, also. She said, when Dad died, she was often convinced that she had it so terribly, but then she would remind herself that she had me, and she wasn't alone. I've had to do that before…remind myself that is. Whenever I miss mom, I just remind myself that I'm not alone…that I have friends who are there for me…oh, I'm sorry! I'm babbling. I guess you wouldn't really know what I'm talking about. You have you're group of fan club friends who all look up to you for you to hang out with".

Motoko's chopsticks stopped halfway to her mouth. Putting them down, she smiled sadly at Tohru. "Ya…I guess so…". That wasn't true, though. Motoko knew exactly what Tohru was talking about. She knew what it felt like to be lonely. She felt it every single day, when she scanned the lunchroom for a friendly face. Tohru said she had the fan club girls, who looked up to her. Look up to her? "They don't look up to me…they don't like even like me", she said to herself. "They only hang out with me because I hold a position of power in the club. They only stay around me so they can win favor with me before I pick my successor as President of the Prince Yuki Fan Club". No, Motoko understood…she understood all too well. She was lonely.

"Are you okay?" Tohru asked, breaking Motoko's thoughts. "You look a little out of it".

"I…I'm fine. So, where's Yuki?" Motoko replied, changing the subject.

"Oh, he has a student council meeting during lunch today".

"Oh". Silence loomed the odd pair once again. "And…what about his cousin? That orange headed boy?"

"Kyo? He's umm…" flash back to this morning "_You and me, stupid cat. Outside, during lunch!" "Bring it on, you brat! I'll kick your sorry black cow (insert appropriate swear word here)!" " Just because I go to your school now doesn't mean you have the right to walk all over me! I'll see you there, cat!"_…end of flash back… "he's sorting out a family issue…".

Just then, the end of lunch bell rang. Looking down at her tray, Motoko realized she hadn't accomplished much today…with her mission or with her food. As Tohru gathered her schoolbooks, Motoko's mind raced. "So…I'll see you tomorrow?"

Tohru looked at her, then smiled. "Okay! It was nice having lunch with you today!" With that, she left the table.

Motoko dumped out her food, then proceeded down the hallway. Lunch today was incredibly awkward. Especially since Tohru didn't seem as evil as Motoko had first pictured. And that loneliness comment had caught Motoko off guard. As she walked, staring at the floor, she practically walked into someone as they exited a room. Stopping herself just in time, she watched as Yuki turned, his back to her, and walked down the hall. Visions of her sweet Prince filled Motoko's head, and she made a mental note. Yuki would be hers, no matter what the cost. She would befriend Tohru, assuming all went as well as today. And the best part of it is; Tohru suspects nothing.

**babybubble**- Thanks! I'm glad you liked it:D

**Aura Black Chan**- Good points. I'll contemplate them as I write. Thanks for the review!

**TaijiyaSango2498**- I hope I updated soon enough:P :D JK

**AllyCat588**- Thank you so much! I'm glad it was suspensful enough for you!


	3. Another Lunch

Sorry for not updating sooner! I guess you could say inspiration hit me, and, well, I started writing another Fruba fanfic! (Check it out:P) Well, here we go! -Maple Chan

Sitting in class the following day, Motoko doodled in her notebook. Having given up trying to draw the perfect Yuki picture, she satisfied herself with drawing gigantic hearts around phrases such as "Mrs. Motoko Sohma", or "Princess Motoko Sohma". Turning lazily to her left, she watched a blonde haired boy flick paper footballs at the kid in front of him. Looking behind her, she saw another boy asleep on his desk, mouth hanging open and drool forming a puddle on his desk. Sticking her tongue out in disgust, Motoko turned attention back to her drawing. Why must all the boys in her grade be such morons? It didn't matter, though. She had her eyes on one boy, and one boy alone. Oh, why couldn't the Prince have been born a year earlier, or, better yet, why couldn't she have been born a year later?

"Oh well, once I follow through with my plan, that won't matter any more. Yuki and I will end up together, just like in the old folk tales". Motoko sighed happily, picturing Prince Yuki walking hand in hand with his new princess, leading her off to his castle. "My happily ever after…".

Just then, the bell sounded. Startled, Motoko woke up from her fantasy. Students filed past her desk, out the classroom. Gathering her things, she was the last to leave. Heading straight for the lunchroom, Motoko got in line for food. Groaning when she received a large plate of slop on her tray, she paid the lunch lady. Motoko once again scanned the lunchroom for Tohru. Satisfied at the sight of the Honda girl alone, she made her way over there.

Tohru looked up in time to see Motoko. "Hi!" she said, grinning. "Come to sit by me again?"

"Yes, well, you're once again alone so I thought I might keep you company", Motoko responded.

"That's so sweet of you, but, actually, I'm not alone today…"

"You…what?" At that moment, Motoko heard a voice from behind her.

"That's MY seat!" an angry Kyo said, slamming his tray down on the table, spilling white rice everywhere.

"I…I'm sorry, I…didn't know…", Motoko stuttered, shocked to see him.

"Why don't you go back to your 'Yuki Fan Club', and leave Tohru alone!"

"Kyo!" Tohru said, surprised at his rudeness. Turning to Motoko, she continued. "It's all right…you can still sit with us if you want to".

"No…I'd…I'd only be getting in the way…", Motoko stuttered. Grabbing her stuff, she started to get up.

Tohru stopped her. "Please, I would like it if you had lunch with us…".

"Really?"

"Ya!" Tohru smiled happily.

Motoko returned her smile. However, she inwardly smirked as she slid into the seat across from Tohru. Her fake modesty had worked; Tohru had totally fallen for it. She knew that she could take advantage of Tohru's kindness, but she had no idea some one like Tohru could be that trusting of a stranger. What a sap. "If things keeping going like this than I'll succeed with stealing Yuki in no time!" she thought to herself.

"So, what did you come here for anyway?" Kyo asked. "'Cause if you came here to see Yuki, then you better forget about it, because he's got another student council meeting".

Motoko sighed to herself, annoyed at the Prince's cousin's curtness. "I didn't come here to see Yuki (although that would have a bonus). I came here to talk to Tohru".

Kyo scowled. He didn't trust this fan club girl.

Tohru, however, was pleasantly surprised. "Wow, Motoko is so nice!" she said to herself. "First she sits by me because I was alone, and now she wants to hang out with me!" Taking a bite of a rice ball, Tohru turned to Motoko. "So, how are things with the fan club?"

"Oh…same as always. We're preparing for an upcoming charity dinner, where we will raise money to buy better recording equipment".

"Recording equipment? For what?"

Motoko inwardly groaned. She shouldn't have said anything. It was a secret that the club was constantly filming Yuki. They had two hidden cameras in every hallway, one in his locker, and one in his desk. Stirring around the mysterious substance on her tray, Motoko changed the subject. "I hear the second year standard tests are coming up. How do you think you'll do?"

Tohru laughed nervously. "Well, testing isn't exactly my strong point…I'm kind of worried these one. Supposedly the second year tests are supposed to be extremely hard…"

"Ha! They were a cinch! Don't worry, you'll do fine!" Motoko waved her hand dismissively. Tohru beamed, and the third year student smiled back. "Maybe I could ask to go over to her house now?" she said inwardly. "No, that would be too soon. I would seem pushy. We should talk more first". She opened her mouth to say something, but Tohru spoke up first.

"Kyo, you've been pretty quiet. How has your day been so far?"

Kyo sighed, annoyed, and stared at the ceiling, as though looking at the two girls was too much work for him. "I don't know…okay I guess…".

"That's wonderful!"

The carrot top shifted in his seat. He was always uncomfortable with Tohru's praises, and didn't help that this fan club girl was here to listen to them. "Yah, yah…it's nothing special…", he muttered.

"Mind if I join you?"

Motoko glanced upward, and then did a double take. It was Yuki, the Yuki, standing right in front of their table. Although he had not seen her yet, Motoko turned a bright shade of red.

Kyo swore under his breath.

Tohru, however, greeted the newcomer. "Yuki! Of course you can sit with us!"

Yuki proceeded to sit across the table from Tohru, and caught sight of Motoko, who was pretending to be interested in her food. "Miss Minagawa! It's been awhile since I've last seen you!"

Motoko laughed nervously. "Same here", she said, not truthfully. In reality, she spied on him all the time at school, and a second didn't pass when she wasn't picturing his beautiful face.

Placing his tray next to her's, Yuki addressed Motoko. "I hope you don't mind if I sit by you…".

"Oh, not at all!" Still blushing Motoko turned to look at her Prince.

As he seated himself next to the shy girl, Yuki smiled at her.

Motoko's heart skipped a beat. "The Prince Yuki Sohma, my Prince Yuki-kun, smiled at ME!" However, Kyo interrupted her daydream.

"So", he said, speaking to Yuki. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"My student council meeting finished early today", he replied coolly, not wanting Kyo to start a fight. At least, not while they had company.

Tohru, realizing an argument might break out, intervened. "And we're glad it did! It's not often we can all sit down together for lunch".

The look that passed between Yuki and Tohru made Motoko's blood boil. That witch! She was flirting with Yuki-kun! (if you could even call it flirting :P). Wanting so badly to hurt Tohru, Motoko wrung the napkin in her hand until it ripped. She wished very much that it could be the witch's neck in her hands in place of her napkin, but she wouldn't dare attempt anything in front of her beloved Prince. Instead, she stood up. Picking up her tray, she started to leave when Tohru called to her.

"Motoko! Where are you going?"

Stopping for only a second, she put on her biggest (fake) smile and turned to the Honda girl. "I just remembered I have homework to do before next hour". With that, she left.

"Okay then, I'll see you later!" Tohru called back, waving. Sighing happily to herself (when is she not happy?), she returned to her meal.

Yuki, on the other hand, was anything but happy. It seemed like every time he ran into Miss Minagawa, she would always take off. Staring at the mush on his tray, he lay his head on his hand. "I bet it was something I said", he thought. "I'm always messing stuff up! I'm such an idiot! I hate myse-".

Suddenly, hearing Tohru laugh, Yuki stopped his train of thought. "Now I sound like Ritsu", he laughed to himself. No, he could never let anyone see that side of him. It was the side he kept locked away, under a bright face and kind word or two. It was the side he hated to show, and did not intend to show, even Tohru. "Enough of this", he said to himself. "It was probably nothing". However, even as he joined in smiling and laughing with Tohru, he couldn't help but worry about Motoko.

**Aura Black Chan**- Thanks for the hint! (Heh, I forgot about the sliding doors...don't worry, I fixed the problem:D)

**Steeple333**- Yah, I partially agree with you...as much as I'd love to see Yuki and Motoko together, some how, it wouldn't be right...infact, I'm contemplating making this turn into a MotokoxKyo fic. Wouldn't that be random! XP I changed the paragraph so now the flashback makes more sense...incase you cared...:P JK

**Kii Sohma**- Thanks:D :) Hope you like this chapter!

**Allycat588**- I don't know if Kyo got his butt kicked...I would think so, except he's fighting Haru, and, as much as it hurts me to say so, Haru stinks at fighting. A teacher probably pulled the two apart before they could do any REAL damage...XD Hehe, thanks! I look foward to reading your next review:D :) 


	4. An Invitation Over

Yes, yes...I changed my pen name. I was just sick of the smae old boring Maple Chan, so I caved in and changed it :P But you have to admit, Haru is so totally one of the best characters:D :P -White Haru Sohma

A week had passed since Motoko had first sat down at the lunch table with Tohru. Not a day had passed that the Prince Yuki Fan Club president didn't talk to Tohru at every moment possible, which usually consisted of eating lunch with her, but also the occasional greeting in the hallway, much to the dismay of two of Tohru's closest friends.

"Why do you talk to her, anyway?" Arisa Uotani complained, after Motoko waved good-bye to Tohru. "It's not like you HAVE to talk to her or anything. I mean, she IS the president of the Prince Yuki Fan Club. And wasn't it not so long ago that you were her sworn enemy or something?"

"Huh?" Tohru replied, turning to the Yankee. She was completely unaware that there had ever been unrest between herself and Motoko (she's not very observant, is she:P)

"Come on, are you just going to be friends with any random person off the street?" Arisa knew the answer as soon as she finished. (Tohru strikes me as the type of person who could be friends with anybody).

Saki Hanajima spoke up. "She did befriend you didn't she?" she replied in her usual monotone voice.

"HEY! WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!"

Passing a row of lockers, Tohru stopped. "I have to drop some books off at the library before I head to class today. See you guys!"

Watching Tohru disappear around a corner, Saki turned to Arisa. "Yes, I know. She IS spending a rather large amount of time with Motoko".

"Look, it's not like I hate Motoko (although those evil henchmen of hers sure as heck give me a headache), it's just I don't see why she's suddenly buddy-ing up with our Tohru". Realizing Saki had stopped, Arisa turned around to face her gothic friend.

"It's…it's her waves", she said, hesitantly. "I don't like Motoko's waves. They seem…sinister…fake…Motoko's intentions aren't clear, but, what ever they are, I don't like it. I don't think she's being honest. We can't trust her". Looking at the concerned Arisa, Saki made eye contact with her. "We need to watch over Tohru…no matter what".

Lunch today was the usual. With Yuki at a student council meeting, and Arisa in detention, the remaining four grouped together in their usual spot in the cafeteria.

"So, what do you think of the upcoming school assembly?" Tohru asked her lunch buddies.

"What's there to think?" Kyo replied in his usual negative manner. "It's just going to be another dumb lecture about grades and school spirit. That Yankee is lucky she doesn't have to sit through it".

"I won't exactly call someone in detention lucky", Motoko responded, picking at her rice with her chopsticks. Tohru laughed. The Prince Yuki Fan Club president smiled. She was now at the point where she no longer had to worry about making fake conversation. She could actually join in on the group's discussions without hesitation or disapproval. Laughing along with Tohru, she stopped as she spotted Saki watching her. The gothic friend of Tohru's was staring at Motoko much more than usual, and with a hint of ice behind her eyes. Motoko shivered, suddenly feeling as though something was crawling up her spine.

"Are you all right?" the ever-thoughtful Honda girl asked.

"Yah, it's…it's nothing…".

"That's good!"

Tohru's smile made Motoko wince. She knew she shouldn't be here. She didn't belong here. All she had to do was look around at the others. She wasn't one of them, and it didn't take Saki's glare to tell her that.

"No!" she told herself. "Don't lose sight of the goal! You're in this for Yuki, not to make friends!" Taking a deep breath, she regained composure. Tohru's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh no! The second year standard tests are next week! I completely forgot!"

"Hey, calm down!" Kyo said, watching Tohru flipping out. "Geez, it's just a stupid test! You don't have to get all worked up over it!"

Motoko, before she could stop herself, added, "Don't worry! You'll do fine! I know you'll do fine!"

Saki and Kyo, both surprised, turned to look at Motoko, shock evident on their faces.

Motoko bit her lip. "What did I do?" she asked herself. "You idiot! You're not here to make friends! That comment wasn't necessary!"

Tohru looked at Motoko, and, suddenly her face lit up in a huge smile. "Why thank you!" Then, more hesitantly, she continued. "But I don't know about that. I still don't understand most of the topics we're supposed to go over…I KNOW! You took the test last year! You could help me study!" Seeing the bafflement on Motoko's face, Tohru stopped. "…oh, but wait, I mean, if it isn't any trouble…".

"Motoko!" she screamed inwardly. "This is your chance! INVITE YOURSELF OVER!" Smiling at Tohru, she replied. "Oh, not at all! I'd love to study with you!"

"Great, so it's set! You can come over tomorrow after school and…" Tohru's eyes widened as she realized what she had done. "Oh my gosh, I invited her over without asking Shigure first!" she thought. Eyes darting around the table, she caught Kyo's gaze. He looked mortified.

"DON'T INVITE HER OVER!" the carrot top mouthed.

Saki just stared in disbelief at Tohru.

Motoko, however, replied before anyone else could. "Great!" she smiled, picking up her tray. "Then it's set! I'll see you tomorrow at your place!" And, with that, she left the table, smiling evilly to herself as the others sat silent, contemplating what had just happened.

**Aura Black Chan**- Sorry I hadn't updated in awhile...stupid school finals :P I agree, she'd totally flip out if she were to find out that Tohru lived with the Sohmas...I guess we'll see next chapter XD

**TaijiyaSango2498**- Well, there is Motoko Minegwa (did I spell that right?), president of the Prince Yuki Fan Club, then there is Makoto Taeki (yes, he spells it with an 'a'), president of student council. What are the odds:D

**Ichigo-Inari**- :) Thanks! By the way, who (or what) are you named after (your penname). Just wondering... :D

**animaeGuRl**- Thanks for reviewing...I guess :o I couldn't tell if you were complimenting me or complaining... 


	5. Living Arrangements Revealed

So, the chapter we've all been waiting for! Muhahahaha, I'm evil though...I end it rather suddenly! -White Haru Sohma

"_You're the only one for me…you've always been the only one"._

_Motoko's heart skipped with delight. She couldn't believe she was standing here, at this very moment, and Yuki was confessing his love to her! Sighing delightedly, Motoko stared up into his handsome purple eyes._

_"Motoko…", he said, lifting up her chin. He bent his head, so his face was right in front of hers._

_"Yes?" she whispered._

"You won't have time for breakfast".

_Startled, she jumped back from her Prince. "What did you say?"_

"School starts in ten minutes! Get up!"

Motoko awoke to see her mother's angry face hovering over her own. Still out of it, Motoko pulled the covers back over her head, much to her mother's dismay.

"Motoko! Didn't you hear me!" Mrs. Minagawa yelled, yanking the sheets off of her daughter.

Grumbling to herself, Motoko got up and headed to the bathroom. Splashing some water on her face, she stared at her reflection in the mirror for a few seconds. Then, her sleepy eyes opened wide. Today was the day! Today was **the** day! The day Motoko was infiltrating…I mean…visiting Tohru Honda's house (heh). Throwing on her school uniform, Motoko rushed down the stairs, and grabbing her backpack (which **just** **so happened** to have a picture of Yuki on in XP), she attempted to exit the house, only to see her mother blocking the door.

"MOTHER!"

"Motoko, I need to know what time you'll be home tonight", Mrs. Minagawa replied, still standing in front of the door. "Didn't you say something about you were going to a friend's house after school?"

Annoyed, Motoko tapped her foot impatiently. "Yes, I'll be home sometime after dinner, before dark. CAN I GO NOW!"

As her mother stepped to the side, she burst out of the house and headed towards the school, and her target.

"I'm glad Shigure wasn't mad at me…I don't know how I would have been able to break off the study session with Motoko after she so kindly offered to help me!"

Tohru turned to look at Yuki and Kyo. They had been oddly silent this morning, and continued to be so even as the trio headed towards the school. Ever the kind person, Tohru was worried about them.

Kyo, noticing Tohru watching them, spoke up. "What?" he said in an impatient voice.

"Oh, it's…it's nothing…it's just that…you've been silent all morning, and I was wondering if something was wrong…". Seeing Yuki and Kyo's surprised looks, she panicked. "…Not that you would have to tell me or anything! I didn't mean to sound like I was prying…I…was just worried".

"No, it's alright Miss Honda!" Yuki said, taken aback at Tohru's sudden outburst. "I was just thinking…how is Miss Minagawa going to react when she finds out that you're living at our house?"

Tohru stopped. "I hadn't thought of that…", she said, her voice shaking.

"Oh well", Kyo replied. "We'll worry about that after school. Now can we please hurry up? We're going to be late!"

"Stupid cat, you're not helping the situation".

"SHUT UP, YOU (**beep** XP) RAT!"

(_Que Sera Sera as I say!_)

(Shigure, get out of the story!)

(_You never let me have any fun!_)

A commonly used expression is "time flies when you're having fun". As this is proven to be true, same is the case of the opposite. Time tends to drag on when you're bored out of you're mind, or are looking forward to something. As they say, "a watched pot never boils". This was so with Motoko.

The day seemed to drag by even slower than usual, and, by the time the dismissal bell had sounded, the Prince Yuki Fan Club president felt as though a week had passed. But no it no longer mattered. Her first priority was her mission. Rushing from the classroom, and only stopping briefly at her locker to pick up her things, Motoko met Tohru and the others in front of the school.

"Heh, sorry I'm late!" she said, laughing nervously.

"Oh, no, it's all right!" Tohru smiled.

The smile Motoko returned to Tohru made Kyo sick. He didn't trust this fan club girl.

Yuki, on the other hand, smiled along with the girls. This just made Kyo even more sick. Idiots.

"Oh!" Tohru told Motoko happily, "I forgot to tell you, two of Yuki and Kyo's relatives will be walking home with us today!"

At that moment, a blonde boy (was he a boy? XD) popped up next to Motoko. "Well hello there! Are you one of Tohru's friends?"

Before Motoko could reply, a tall guy with white and black hair entered the group. The Prince Yuki Fan Club president's jaw dropped. It's obvious that he was a relative of the prince… because he was so darn good looking! It took Motoko a minute to snap out of it. Nah, he wasn't nearly as cute as the Prince.

"Hey", he said to Kyo. "You didn't tell us we'd have company".

"That's 'cause YOU'RE not even supposed to be walking home with us! Don't you have detention?"

The stranger looked up at the sky for a moment then muttered. "Oh yah…I did, didn't I?"

"Miss Minagawa, this is Hatsuharu Sohma", Yuki introduced the new arrival.

The blonde boy, who had been standing quietly next to Motoko, spoke up. "Hi! I'm Momiji Sohma! What's your name!"

Motoko, overwhelmed by Momiji's enthusiasm, replied. "I'm Motoko Minagawa".

"Hey Motoko, let's be friends, okay!"

The girl laughed. "Man, I wish Tohru were like this", she said to herself. "That would make befriending her soooooooooooooooo much easier". Then, out loud, she responded, "Sure!"

Momiji smiled. "Ja!" (Don't ask me, he randomly says that in the manga, so I thought I'd throw it in :) )

As the group started walking, Motoko surveyed her surroundings. She wanted to know exactly where she was heading, so, in the future, she would be able to find her way to Tohru's house if there came a need.

Tohru broke the silence that had lay on the group. "It's such a beautiful day today!"

Haru looked up at the sky. "Yes, it is, isn't it?" He mused to himself. Changing the subject, he addressed Motoko. "So, what brings you to Sensei's house on a day such as this?"

"Haru!" Kyo hissed.

"Sensei!" Motoko thought. "Tohru's mother must be a teacher, or a novelist!" She did not know a lot about Tohru Honda's family life, but she had remembered Tohru mentioning her father's death.

Seeing Motoko deep in thought, Tohru decided to answer Haru's question for her. "She's coming over to help me study for the second year standard tests".

"I see…"

"Hey!" Momiji piped up, ready to start conversation. "So, Motoko, you already know about the whole zodiac thing, right?"

Immedeatly all sound within the group stopped, as everyone stopped walking except Motoko and Momiji.

"You…mean…like…the old Chinese folk tale…?" Motoko asked, confused.

Realizing his mistake, Momiji let out a little "oops", and ducked just before Kyo's fist made contact with the side of his head.

"WHAT THE HE(Kyo! This story is for all audiences!) DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, MOMIJI!" Kyo yelled, picking the blonde boy up off the ground. Then, realizing they were still in the midst of company, he dropped him and muttered to himself as Haru and Yuki shot looks of ice in his direction.

"…Ummm…?"

Yuki turned to Motoko and smiled. "Don't worry Miss Minagawa, he just doesn't like fairy tales, that's all. Shall we continue?"

A few awkward minutes later, the group arrived at an intersection. Waving good bye to Haru and Momiji as they turned left, the group proceed around a corner, and onto a dirt path off the road.

Still a little dazed from the incident, Motoko realized Yuki and Kyo were still with Tohru and herself. "They must live close by". Her lip curled in disgust. To think that Tohru Honda's house was actually within walking distance of the Prince's!

As they exited the dense forest, they came upon a serene little wood and paper house that lay in the middle of a clearing.

"It's beautiful!", Motoko gushed, surprised at picture perfect image of Tohru's house.

"Ah, it's nothin' special", Kyo said, proceeding toward the house.

"Oh, Tohru, you didn't tell me Kyo and Yuki were coming too", Motoko commented, turning her head in Tohru's direction.

"Well, it's now or never", Tohru said to herself. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at Motoko. "Oh, no, that's not how it is. This is actually their house. I'm currently living with them".

**Tiff**- Thank you for the review :D I love getting people's feed back!

**TaijiyaSango2498**- Motoko's not as much EVIL as she is OBSESSED. She doesn't want to hurt the people around her, but she will in order to get Yuki as her own. I looked it up. Minagawa is spelled with three a's. Thanks though:)

**AnonyMOUSE**- Heh, Shigure flirting with Motoko could be bad... XP I'm glad the story has captured your interest:D

**Aura Black Chan**- Forgot to add it in, but both Saki and Arisa couldn't make it...I'll mention that in the next chapter. Don't worry, something like that will happen in the future! XD

**Anna Banana**- You really shouldn't use my 'name' on the internet XP JK, love you Anna...but not in that way XD

**DivineGuardian**- I'm glad you liked the fic, but posting 6 reviews is a BIT much XD Heh, JK, it was probably an accident, right? Anyway, Momiji and Haru are in this chapter (if not only for a short bit). They'll be showing up in the lunchroom more often, though. I was going to bring up the study fact in the next chapter, but I'll explain it now too: Yuki, although he DOES help Tohru before every test, has never taken the second year standard tests, and, as in most cases with standard tests, does not know what to study ahead of time. Motoko, on the other hand, HAS taken the test, therefore would know what to study. Do you get what I'm saying? I hope that didn't sound too confusing. :) Anyway, thanks for the reviews :D YukixTohru all the way!


	6. Reaction and Dinner

Oh my gosh! This is the first time I ever updated less than a week since my last update! I guess good ol' creative spirit finally kicked in. Enjoy! -White Haru Sohma

Her head swum. Black, black all around her. Had it suddenly become night time? From a distance she could hear a voice calling her name.

"Motoko", it echoed through her head. Could it be her prince? Was Yuki-kun calling her?

"Motoko!" As the voice became clearer, Motoko started to come to. No, it wasn't Yuki. The voice was too feminine (ha! You'd think that wouldn't rule out Yuki's voice XD :P JK). Motoko winced. It was that Honda girl…but why has she calling Motoko? Slowly her eyelids opened, and light flooded her vision. Where was she? As her vision strengthened, Motoko found herself in a room of some sort. As she groaned, suddenly Tohru's face appeared over her own.

"Motoko!" she exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

"Wha…? What happened?" Motoko asked, rubbing her soar head.

"You passed out when we arrived here. You've been unconscious for the past twenty minutes! But are you sure you're all right! I mean, oh, this is all my fault!"

Motoko didn't know how to respond as she watched Tohru panic. "Ummm…"

A sudden knock on the door caused Motoko to sit up.

Tohru stopped panicking long enough to call "Come in".

To Motoko's surprise, Yuki slid open the door and proceeded in. Seeing the guest awake, he sat down in front of her. "How are you feeling Miss Minagawa?"

Motoko found it difficult to form her words. Prince Yuki was sitting in front of her, asking how she was doing! It was too much for her to handle.

Handing her a bag, he continued. "I brought you some ice for your head. That fall must have given you an awful headache".

"Ummm…fall?" Then, it all came back to her. Jumping to her feet, she pointed at a confused Tohru. "You…you live with Prince Yuki!"

Yuki blushed as he heard his inherited nickname (inherited as in, it was given to him; he did not choose it). As an awkward silence swept across the room, he got up and headed towards the door. "I…umm…should talk to Shigure about dinner tonight", he said, embarrassed by the current situation. With that, he left.

The two girls sat in silence for about a minute until Tohru spoke. "Well, it's a long story", she said finally, anxiety causing her voice to shake.

Leaning her back against a wall, Motoko studied her 'friend'. Apparently this subject was a little awkward for Tohru too. In fact, Tohru almost seemed embarrassed. So…was it possible she wasn't living at the Prince's house to keep him to herself? If she was, she wouldn't have hidden it. She would have flaunted her good fortune to everyone, especially the Prince Yuki Fan Club.

Surprised at her own discovery, Motoko allowed her gaze to focus on the ceiling. Closing her eyes, and sighing slightly, she addressed Tohru. "It's all right…I have all the time in the world".

Tohru, surprised at Motoko's sudden calm composure, paused for a moment before retelling the entire story.

As Motoko soon realized, it was indeed a LONG story. In fact, just as Tohru wrapped it up, telling of how she now lived with Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure (whom Motoko had yet to meet), Kyo knocked on the door.

"Yo", he called from the other side. "Dinner's here".

"Oh, coming!" Tohru called back. Turning back to Motoko, she found the older girl deep in thought. Breaking into Motoko's pondering, she asked her about dinner. "Um, is takeout all right?"

"Hmm?" Motoko snapped back to reality. "Oh, sure". Following Tohru down the hall to a set of stairs, she returned to her thoughts. Tohru had gone through a lot…a lot more than Motoko had thought possible for someone who had been alive for but sixteen or seventeen years. After losing her father at a young age, and being picked on as a child, her mother was taken from her in an accident. Then, to make matters worse, she had been forced to live in a tent for a few weeks. "I…I don't think I could have done that", Motoko said to herself.

Deep in thought, she didn't see Yuki standing in front of her until she walked into him. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I-…".

Looking around, she couldn't see the Prince anywhere, only a cloud of…dust maybe? "They really need to keep up with the cleaning", she said to herself. Shrugging, she saw Tohru pop her head from around the corner of the kitchen door way. She looked as though she was about to have a heart attack.

"Motoko! Umm, are you all right? I heard a sound and…".

"Yah, I thought I bumped into Yuki, but I don't see him anywhere…".

"Oh! He's…upstairs! You must have been imagining things!"

"Probably…". Her eyes rested on a boy's school uniform lying at her feet.

Tohru watched as Motoko's face twisted in surprise, then, following her new friends gaze, she saw Yuki's uniform. "Ahhh!" Trying to think fast, she dove for the pile of clothes. "Some one must have left them there…maybe…to…TO REMIND ME TO DO THE LAUNDRY! HA HA, SILLY ME, I'M ALWAYS FORGETTING TO DO IT!"

Motoko couldn't figure out why Tohru was freaking out. "Hmmm, must be because she's embarrassed by the mess", Motoko mused to herself. "I guess I would be too, if people saw me living in such conditions!"

"Hey, are you two coming or not?" Kyo called from the next room. "Dinner's going to get cold!"

"You go on without me", Tohru said to Motoko. "I…I should probably go get Yuki".

"Umm…okay". Entering the living room, the Prince Yuki Fan Club president saw the carrot top boy and an older, black haired man dressed in an oversized robe.

"Hello, you must be Motoko", the latter said as Motoko seated herself at the table. "I'm Shigure, Yuki's cousin".

"Hi", Motoko replied.

"Can we eat now?" Kyo asked.

"Now now, Kyo-Kyo-"

"DON'T CALL ME KYO-KYO!"

"-don't forget you're table manners!" Shigure teased. "We do have a guest, you know (not to mention she's a high school girl:D)".

Grumbling, Kyo muttered an apology to Motoko.

"Now, let's say grace, shall we?" Shigure put his hands together, and the other two followed his example. Once he was done, they three dug in.

"So…you're a friend of Tohru's?" Shigure asked after awhile.

"I…guess you could say that; yes".

"Well, I have to say, Tohru has a good taste in friends. At least, if she managed to befriend someone as pretty as yourself".

Motoko blushed at Shigure's compliment. Kyo was about to degrade his idiot of a relative, when someone else spoke first.

"You really shouldn't flirt with company Shigure; she may never want to come back".

Motoko turned to see Yuki and Tohru in the door way.

Ignoring the comment, Shigure watched as the two newcomers seated themselves at the table. "You two should hurry up, your food is getting cold".

Placing his own chopsticks in his mouth, Kyo shot a look of annoyance at Yuki. If he had ever been late to dinner, he would never here the end of it, but that darn rat can just walk in whenever he wants! Turning his gaze upon Motoko, his scowl deepened. The dreamy expression on Motoko's face told him she was dreaming about her sweet 'Prince'. What's so darn princely about him, anyway? Looking at Yuki sitting there, eating sushi, all Kyo could see was a sneaky, dirty rat who only looked to cause trouble for everybody.

Annoyed, the orange top slammed his fist down on the table, startling everyone.

"Kyo…", Tohru started, but she was cut off.

"I…I'm done!" he said angrily. Chucking his chopsticks in the garbage, he stormed out of the room.

Motoko's gaze followed him. "Hmmm, I wonder what that was about?" she said to herself.

"Don't let him bother you, Kyo gets like that sometimes".

Startled, she turned to look at Yuki. She wasn't aware she had spoken out loud!

Hearing the phone ring in the other room, Tohru got up. "I'll get it!" she called back at the others.

"So, Miss Minagawa", Yuki said, breaking the silence that had once again fallen on the group. "Have you and Miss Honda gotten a lot of studying done?"

Beaming inwardly at Yuki's desire to talk to her, she replied. "Actually, she was telling me how she came to live here".

Yuki was surprised at how Motoko could say that so forwardly, after the fact had caused her to faint earlier. She must have been taken by surprise, that's all. Yuki smiled. After all, it's not like she would've been mad at Tohru or anything (ha ha! You are soooooo off the mark Yuki!).

Coming back to reality, Yuki addressed the guest. "Well, if you haven't started helping her yet…if it's not too late, do you think I could join you two in studying?"

The only thing that kept Motoko from screaming with joy is the fact that that probably would have given Yuki and Shigure heart attacks. Her shyness getting the better of her, Motoko's response was a stuttered one. "O…Of course!"

Turning his head toward the kitchen, Shigure spoke. "Hmmm, I wonder who Tohru's on the phone with?"

"Are you sure everything's okay?"

"Yes, yes, we're all doing fine", Tohru responded. "But thank you for worrying about us".

"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about you!" Arisa said, from the other side of the line. "She hasn't tried anything funny, has she?"

"Funny…?"

"Look, if she's said anything to offend you at all, I'll come over there right now and whoop her sorry-"

"No…NO!" Tohru cut her off. "Really, I'm fine".

"Okaayyy", Arisa responded, unconvinced.

"Thank you for calling though. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure, whatever".

Tohru smiled. "Okay, bye!" Hanging up, she returned to the living room, where everyone was now cleaning up the dishes. Seeing Motoko picking up her leftover food, Tohru relieved her of her burden. "Oh, let me get that for you!"

Motoko was surprised at Tohru's eagerness to help. "Umm, thank you".

Once everything was cleaned up, Yuki joined the two girls. "Shall we study?" he asked.

Her heart fluttering, Motoko smiled her first real smile to the two people she stood with. "Let's get going!"

**Grrl N**- Ya, I'm not a huge fan of cliffhangers myself. I just didn't know how else to end that perticular chapter. I'm glad you like it:D

**taijiyasango2498**- Hehe, I really wanted to get a Momiji plushie, but I'm saving up for something else. DARN RIGHT HARU IS HOT! XD (Yuki and Kyo overhear, and go off sulking). No, wait! Yuki, Kyo, you guys are hot too:P

**animefreak**- Stopping at the good part? Such is my nature. (Quick, the latter was a quote made by one of the characters in the Fruits Basket anime...which one was it?)(Ding ding, time up! It was Shigure!) Thank you for the review: you are too kind:D :)

Hmmm, not as many reviews this time...it's a mystery...

Shigure: Que Sera Sera!

You just like hearing yourself talk, don't you?

Yuki: That's my line


	7. Mistrust

Sorry ahead of time; this chapter isn't nearly as exciting as the last few. But hey, not every chapter can be an action-packed, breath-taking, heart-stopping, eye-popping, jaw-dropping,...

Shigure- "_While she rambles, let's get reading, shall we?_"

"Now, for the math portion of the test, be sure to know the binomial theorem. It shows up multiple times".

"The binomial theorem…?" Tohru asked, confused.

Thinking for a moment, Yuki spoke up. "The binomial theorem…that's when the x and y variables used in addition or subtraction follow the same number sequence as a row in Pascal's Triangle…right?"

Motoko smiled at him. "Bingo!" The smile Yuki returned made Motoko's heart flutter. "I can't believe I'm actually studying with Prince Yuki…and at his own house!" she said to herself. Having just finished going through the grammar portion of the test with them, Motoko was now outlining what they should know for the math portion.

Getting up, Tohru checked the clock. "Wow, we've been working for an hour!"

Flipping through her notes, Motoko responded. "Well, you know how the saying goes…time flies when you're having fun!" Then, looking over at Yuki, who was concentrating on his own notes, Motoko mentally added "…or when you're madly in love!"

"I'm going to go make us some snacks, okay?" Tohru headed towards the door. "I'll be right back!"

"I'll come with you Miss Honda", Yuki said, getting up.

"Ah…!" Motoko opened her mouth in protest, but the two had already left. "Hmph! Who does she think she is, stealing Yuki-kun away like that!" Motoko seethed inwardly. Taking a moment to cool of, Motoko sighed. "…Who am kidding, Tohru's not that kind of person…still, Yuki didn't have to go with her-". Motoko stopped her train of thought. She refused to believe that maybe, just maybe Yuki liked Tohru more than one would first guess.

Checking the window, she noticed how dark it was becoming, and fast. "I suppose I'll have to leave soon, if I plan on getting to home before Mom flips out". As she gathered her papers, she heard a nearby door slide open, and then shut. Soft foot steps sounded in the hall, and, for just a second, Motoko could have sworn she saw some one peek in. However, the person was gone instantly. Smirking to herself, she realized the flash of orange she saw must have been Kyo. He was probably looking for Tohru.

Motoko sighed. As many hardships as Tohru had gone through, the older girl still believed she was pretty lucky. "What I wouldn't give to have people who cared about me…"

"Hmmm?"

Motoko stopped. She didn't even hear Tohru enter, let alone know she had been talking out loud. "I really need to break that habit".

"What habit?"

Motoko smacked herself in the face. Turning around, she faced Tohru. "I really need to leave now".

"Oh, but we just got started! Won't you please stay a little longer?" Tohru asked, pleadingly.

"If I don't get home before it's dusk, my mom will freak".

Not wanting to interfere with a parental decision, and already grateful the study time she did receive, Tohru just nodded. Then, setting down her tray of snacks, Tohru called to Motoko, who was already in the hallway. "Wait, at least let me come with you!" Motoko stopped and Tohru caught up with her. "That way you aren't walking home alone!"

Motoko, surprised, was at a loss for words. Ever since she had first eaten lunch with Tohru, the Honda girl had constantly taken her by surprise with her never ending generosity. Now was no exception. Coming back to reality, she smiled weakly at the girl next to her. "I'd like that".

Looking back at that night in school the next day, Motoko realized she had actually softened towards Tohru a bit. As she put her books in her locker, the Motoko contemplated it all, when a call caused her to spin around.

"President Motoko!" Minami called to her, running over to the President of the Prince Yuki Fan Club's locker. As Mio and Number Two (sorry, I don't know her name yet!) caught up, Minami continued. "Motoko-senpai, how did it go?"

Motoko's face was blank. "How…did…what go?"

Minami laughed. "Your study session with that Honda girl, of course!"

"HOW DID YOU…!"

"We overheard Uotani asking Tohru about it", Mio replied, catching her breath.

"You never told us that you had befriended the witch already! Good job!" Minami slapped Motoko on the back, scaring the senior enough to make her drop her notebook.

"So, how did it go!" Mio asked as Motoko picked up her fallen item.

"Ya, did you learn any dirty secrets we can use to blackmail her with?" Number Two pressed.

The Prince Yuki Fan Club representatives waited excitedly for their leader to tell them all about the dirt she had dug up on Tohru Honda. Much to their surprise, and disappointment, Motoko just shook her head.

"WAH!" the three yelled in unison.

"You mean you couldn't find out anything to use against her!" Minami screeched in disbelief.

"No", Motoko thought. "It's not that I didn't find out anything. It's not that I don't know that both her parents are dead, or that she was living in a tent and is now living with Prince Yuki, or even that she isn't very good at keeping up with the laundry. It's just that I'm not going to tell you. Tohru doesn't deserve the criticism of you three".

"Well that stinks!" Number Two announced.

"Was Yuki there at least?" Minami asked.

"Er, no!"

"Maybe you should try inviting yourself over again", Mio replied.

"Yes, maybe…" Motoko said, clearly occupied with sorting through the stuff in her locker. Once she had located a pencil, the elder girl shut her locker door. "Well, I have to head to class".

"We'll catch up with you later than!" Minami called after her.

As Motoko disappeared out of sight, Rika Aida, a third year member of the Prince Yuki Fan Club, slid out from behind a row of lockers.

Minami turned to face the third year. "You were right. She denied it. Yuki's being there, I mean".

Rika brought a hand to her chin, musing to herself. "So, Yuki wasn't there, was he?" she asked a non-present Motoko. "That's not what that Honda girl was telling Arisa earlier".

"So, what does this mean?" Mio asked. "Motoko wouldn't lie like that, would she?"

"I'll be keeping my eye on our 'beloved' president", Rika responded. "You three continue to play ignorant to any of her lies. We'll find out what exactly is going on with her, that witch, and our sacred prince. As of now, Motoko Minagawa cannot be trusted!"

**Dreamer of Dragons**- Heh, thanks:D Yah, I feel your pain. Up until recently, I only owned the 2nd and 5th manga, so I hate it when stories have in depth spoilers. :)

**taijiyasango2498**- Amen to that! Ayame is...well...he's Ayame... XD

**Grrl N**- Humanizing Motoko is something that isn't done enough in fanfics. While she is not a very good person, she is still human. Same with Akito (heh, did I just say that out loud?). No, I'm not an Akito fan, don't worry! I just hate when characters are given absolutely no human attributes. Hope you are enjoying the story!

**Aura Black Chan**- I didn't have Arisa and Saki confront Motoko in this chapter, but they will soon! However, before they do, a certain carrot topped feline will:D (Through out the story, he hasn't trusted Motoko at all, for anyone who didn't notice)

**Bradybunch4529**- I feel sorry for Motoko too. Then again, I feel sorry for many of the Fruits Basket characters! (They've lived such hard lives!) Thanks so much for the review:)

**Nyaa-Neko**- Oh my gosh! So I'm not alone in the world for liking the MotokoxYuki pairing! Yay! (That may not be the way the story goes, though). Most of the people I've talked to who have read this are like "Motoko should die, she is evil", and "Motoko doesn't deserve Yuki", so I've kind of been like "Well...!". I'm glad you like the story:D


	8. A Warning

Very sorry it's been so long...the characters refused to work unless I gave them all another raise...(mutters) dirty, no good, evil, stupid peoples...

All- _"We heard that!"_

I DON"T CARE! Heh, sorry about the name change (again). I just suddenly decided to be Yuki...yah...on with the story! -Yuki

**A Warning**

"You…what!"

Tohru calmly repeated herself, smiling as always. "I was wondering if you could come over to help me study again…if it's not too much trouble".

It had been a few days since Motoko's 'fateful' journey to the Honda house, or rather, Sohma house, so it was a shock to Motoko that she was already being invited back.

Seeing the troubled look on Motoko's face, her new friend immedeatly began to apologize. "I'm sorry, I know it's a lot to ask…but I'm really nervous about upcoming standard tests and I can't study if I don't know what to study…"

"Well…sure", Motoko replied, still in a slight state of shock.

Motoko's quiet answer had not been enough to catch the now rambling Honda girl's attention. "…and I made this promise to my mom that I'd finish high school…and I can't finish without passing the standard tests, and it would help Yuki a lot too-"

"I SAID YES!" At the mention of her beloved Prince's name, Motoko had gotten the sudden urge to make it clear to Tohru that she would be accepting her invitation with great pleasure. Realizing the awkwardness of her loud response, she cleared her throat and tried again. "Sure, I'll help you".

"Really!", Tohru replied, eyes lighting up. "Thank you so much!"

Motoko smiled at her companion's enthusiasm. "It's…no problem at all…", she said, her eyes following Yuki as he passed them on the other side of the hallway. Another chance to spend time with Prince Yuki at his castle of a home. ;P

"Thank you, God", Motoko said, hand on heart, turning her gaze to heaven.

"Hmmm?"

Blushing, Motoko snapped out of it. "Oh…nothing. Haha, I got to stop talking to myself".

The first warning bell sounded, and Motoko shut her locker. "Well, I guess I'll see you at lunch then", she said, turning to Tohru.

"Okay!" Tohru smiled happily at her friend.

Motoko returned her smile.

Suddenly Tohru opened her eyes and scanned the emptying hallway. "OH MY GOSH, I'M GOING TO BE LATE! GOTTA GO!" With that, she took off running down the corridor, waving back at the Prince Yuki Fan Club president.

Motoko laughed to herself. Tohru could be so foolish sometimes…but…that's what made her so loveable:) Humming a tune, Motoko turned to head to her classroom, only to be stopped by someone.

"Hey, I-"

It was Arisa Uotani. Shoving Motoko back up against the lockers, she glared fiercely at her. "What did you do to her?"

Motoko was at a loss for words. "What did I…?"

Arisa pressed on. "Don't play stupid with me, what did you do to her!" The final warning bell sounded, but the yankee paid no attention.

"I have no idea what you're talking about", Motoko said, trying her best to sound dignified.

"YES YOU DO!" Arisa was quickly losing patience. "YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO TOHRU…WHY ELSE WOULD SHE SUDDENLY BE BEST FRIENDS WITH THE LIKES OF YOU!"

After Motoko processed what the Uotani girl was yelling at her about, she tried her best to sound together. "I didn't do anything to Tohru…I would NEVER do anything to Tohru!" she replied.

Arisa's lip curled in disgust. However, she didn't have time to react, because the bell sounded for the last time, signaling the start of class. Letting go of Motoko's collar, she shot the older girl another look of disgust before leaving. "Thanks to YOU, I'm now going to get a detention for being tardy!" she called back angrily.

Gasping, Motoko allowed herself a moment to collect herself. Her head hurt from being slammed against the locker, and her neck was sore from being pinned by her shirt collar, but, apart from the quickly disappearing exterior pain, Motoko hurt internally.

"_YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO TOHRU…WHY ELSE WOULD SHE SUDDENLY BE BEST FRIENDS WITH THE LIKES OF YOU!"_

Motoko shivered, Tohru's friend's voice echoing in her head.

_"…THE LIKES OF YOU…"_

Gathering her stuff up, Motoko reluctantly headed to class, knowing full well the detention she was going to receive when she got there.

Lunch got off to an awkward start. When Motoko sat down at the table, she found it occupied only by Tohru's two close friends…the yankee and the psychic. Even as she seated herself across from them, she could feel something cold, like a sheet of ice, wash over her.

Saki Hanajima could tell something was amiss between the two people beside her. Between the quivering, weak waves generating from Motoko to the strong, angry ones from Arisa, it was quite obvious Arisa had done something. In fact, she probably would even attempt something now, in the lunchroom, if not stopped.

Arisa was convinced Motoko had done something. There's no way she and Tohru would truly be friends. She must be black mailing Tohru…or maybe even threatening her! The very idea caused her fingers to suddenly clench her chopsticks tightly, causing them to snap in half. Angrily, she made a move to reach across the table and grab Motoko's shirt collar, only to be stopped by Saki. One look at the Hanajima girl caused Arisa to slide back into her seat. Her friend's pitch black eyes told her to calm down. In fact, one look in Saki's eyes, and Arisa received many messages. _"What ever happened, don't let it phase you". "Try to control your anger". "We must remember, this IS Tohru's friend, whether we like it or not". "Contain yourself…for Tohru…"_

Motoko stared at wonder as she watched something pass between Saki and Arisa. The girl who, moments ago, tried to lunge at her, was now breathing calmly, an almost relaxed demeanor passing over her. What could Saki have possibly done to change a person so quickly? Motoko's gaze shifted to the Hanajima girl, who, as if sensing the sudden pair of eyes on her, turned to stare at Motoko. The Prince Yuki Fan Club president quickly busied herself with stirring her ramen noodles, avoiding Saki's eyes.

"Hey, sorry we're late!"

Motoko breathed a sigh of relief as Tohru seated herself next to Motoko.

"We wouldn't have been late is SOMEONE hadn't have gone and spilled his tray all over Miss Honda", Yuki comment glaring at Kyo.

"Hey!" Kyo said, angrily throwing his tray onto the table. "Are you trying to blame this on me! The only reason I spilled is 'cause I tripped over you, you da-" (Noticing Motoko, Uotani, and Hanajima, who would all wonder why he called Yuki a rat, he cut himself off), "m…AHHH, FORGET IT!"

"It's alright, Kyo! It was probably my fault that you spilled on me anyway…you know, silly me…"

Kyo was taken aback. "No, that's…". His face turned crimson.

Arisa smiled wickedly. "Awww, looks like Kyo-Kyo is blushing!"

"DON'T CALL ME KYO-KYO!"

Motoko watched as the others joked and laughed, but, she couldn't help feeling…out of place. She wasn't like the others.

_"WHY ELSE WOULD SHE SUDDENLY BE BEST FRIENDS WITH THE LIKES OF YOU!"_

Motoko stirred her food in silence, head resting on hand. She wouldn't join in their conversation…she was already burdening them enough with her presence.

One person at the table, however, wouldn't let Motoko be lonely. "Hey, Motoko, I…" Tohru tilted her head to try and see Motoko's face, which was hidden by strands of her long hair. "What's wrong?"

Motoko was brought out of her thoughts suddenly, and was taken aback to see Tohru watching her; a look of concern on her face.

"It…it's nothing…I'm…just not hungry, that's all". Picking up her tray, she threw it out and headed back past the table and out the lunch room doors.

Watching the older girl leave, Tohru felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Why did Motoko always seem sad when everyone was together like this? Tohru wanted her to be happy…but she didn't know what to do!

"Don't worry", Yuki said, seeing the look on Tohru's face, "she'll be back". Tohru just smiled and continued eating, but Yuki couldn't shake off the feeling of worry. Why? Why are you running? What are you running from?

**TaijiyaSango2498**- Thank you so much for the review :D

**Grrl N**- Mai Gotou is Number Two's name? Thank you for telling me...I'm too dumb to get it from the anime...(or maybe just too lazy:P) Now, thanks to you, the identity of a character will not go overlooked... XP Althought they didn't show up much in this chapter, Rika and others will be plotting against Motoko in up-coming ones. :)

**Inuyasha4ever9391**- COOKIE! Hehe, I love Haru too:)

**Bradybunch4529**-Seems like Motoko will never have an easy life...but then, who ever said life was easy? XP Thanks for the review!

**Nyaa-Neko**- I can tell you this: this WILL be a MotokoxYuki fic...however, I will NOT yet tell if they end up together or apart in the end... ;)

**DivineGuardian**- I have read through volume 11 of the manga. I agree, volume 10 was absolutely kawiia:D

**SpiffyKoala**- Waaaah! They look like bones? Way to give it away, Anna! MATZAH!

**Tiff**-It's almost kind of good you missed the updates, since it's been a month since my last one ;)


	9. Confrontation

I'm really, REALLY SORRY it's taken so long to update. Don't worry, I'm already writing the next chapter, so the next wait won't be long. Again, I AM SO SORRY! -Yuki

**Confrontation**

"I really am glad you could come over today!"

Having just finished a long day of school, Tohru strolled happily a long, breathing in the fresh, spring air. Walking next to her, Motoko Minagawa too enjoyed the beauty of the day. "But…I really hope it wasn't any trouble…"

Motoko turned her head to look at her friend. "Oh, no…no trouble…" she replied, smiling.

However, as happy as the two girls were while they enjoyed the peaceful surroundings, a storm was brewing between the three boys behind them.

Kyo, having just tripped over a branch on the ground, landed face first. Haru automatically started laughing, while Yuki just smirked, showing his disgust for the cat.

"Hey, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SMIRKING AT?"

"What do YOU think…"

"LOOK, JUST BECAUSE YOUR FAN CLUB GIRLFRIEND IS HERE DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO START ACTING ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY!"

Going bright red, Yuki checked to make sure Motoko and Tohru hadn't heard, before turning on the carrot top. "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! YOU SHOULD SHUT UP UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT!"

"I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW THAT MUCH, BUT I CAN'T GET AWAY FROM YOU! YOU'RE EVERY DA(Kyo, watch your language! There may be children reading! XP XD) PLACE I GO!"

"Does this sound familiar?" Haru asked, turning to look at the audience.

"AND YOU, STAY OUT OF THIS, YOU BIG, DUMB OX!" Immedeatly the cat regretted his outburst, for he soon found himself staring into the eyes of a very, VERY mad Black Haru.

"HEY, I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU, YOU STUPID CAT! YOU THINK YOU CAN CALL ME DUMB AND GET AWAY WITH IT!"

By the time the two had assumed a fighting stance, Motoko and Tohru realized what was going on behind them and watched as the two duked it out.

"Come on, idiot, stop being such a scaredy cat! COME AT ME LIKE A MAN!" Too busy taunting, Haru didn't see Kyo's foot come out of nowhere and knock him backwards.

"SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE BRAT, YOU DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT BEING A MAN!"

"Like you do either…" his comment was cut off as Kyo knocked him roughly to the side.

Tohru gasped as Haru cuffed Kyo in the side of the head, and Motoko gaped, having never witnessed a real fight before.

"Miss Honda, Miss Minagawa, you two really should go back to the house. This could last awhile…"

Motoko turned to look at Yuki, before turning back to the fight. She couldn't leave now, things were really getting heated up! Both of the Prince's relatives were covered in scratches and bruises, and they fought as though their lives depended on it!…or at the very least…their reputations… XP

As amazed as Motoko was at the two boys display of martial art skills, Tohru was terrified. "Yuki…shouldn't we…try and…stop them? What if one of…them kills…the other?" she stuttered, trembling at the thought.

Yuki glanced backward at the scene behind him. "Somehow, I don't think either of them have the skill to actually finish the other off. However, if they both collapse from exhaustion, that's just fine with me…" Having turned back to face the girls, he didn't see as the rumble started heading in his direction. He didn't see Haru right behind him, trying to flee the red head. He didn't see as Haru moved to the left suddenly, causing nothing to stand between him and an enraged Kyo.

Motoko watched in horror as one of Kyo's stray punches swung to a sharp right and closed in on her Prince's head. "YUKI, WATCH OUT!" she gasped. Then, she witnessed something that completely surprised her.

As Kyo's fist arched towards Yuki in slow motion, suddenly, Yuki's hand came up out of nowhere and caught Kyo's throw. Using his opponent's momentum against him, he pushed the punch to his side. As Kyo fell forward, Yuki's foot shot out of nowhere and sent the carrot top flying. Kyo flew, landing in the dirt ten or so yards away. Dusting himself off, Yuki turned to look at the girls. Tohru, as usual, displayed a panicky face, and, immedeatly ran to Kyo's side. But Motoko…

The President of the Prince Yuki Fan Club stood, mouth open, staring at Yuki. The Prince…the **Prince**, had not only dodged a nearly unavoidable hit, but also defeated his relative in one move. He was so…so skilled…so valiant…so noble…so…so…SO TOTALLY STARING AT HER WEIRDLY! Immedeatly dropping her gaze, Motoko turned a deep shade of red. "I'm…I mean you…I mean…that was cool…"

"Ummm…cool?"

Motoko's face turned an even darker shade of crimson (if that was even possible XP), and she stared at her feet. "Ummm…yah, well…with the whole…fight…and…yah…" she muttered awkwardly. The silence that lay between the two was uncomfortable. Luckily, Haru came to the rescue moments later.

"We should get going", commented the now White Haru nonchalantly. Heeding the white haired teen's advice, the group continued on their journey. After Haru took a different turn, the remaining three passed into the ever densing forest that surrounded Shigure's house, trudging along in silence. In fact, it wasn't until they arrived that the first word was spoken.

"Well, I guess Motoko and I had better get up to my room. We have a lot of studying to get done!" Tohru announced happily.

"I'll join you in fifteen minutes or so…I have something I need to do first", Yuki replied. As they entered the house, he quickly disappeared into another room.

"Kyo! Would you like to study with us?" Tohru asked the carrot top.

The look he shot at her shut the brunette up instantly. "B..bu..but", she stuttered, "the tests are coming up pretty quickly, and you'll have to take them too…"

"THERE IS NO WAY I'M GOING TO BE STUCK IN A ROOM WITH THAT STUPID GIRLY BOY FOR FIVE HOURS…" Seeing the frightened expression on Tohru's face, Kyo calmed down. "…I'll take my chances with the tests…" he muttered, leaving the two girls as he headed towards the kitchen.

"Is he ALWAYS that angry?" Motoko asked, making sure Kyo was out of earshot.

"Well…yah…but…it's not his fault…see…he's not always like that…he's really a nice person…he just…well…"

Motoko stared in amazement as she watched her friend try to defend the red head. Then, a feeling of realization hit her as she recognized the 'classic signs'. Tohru's blush made it all the more obvious. Smirking to herself, she cut off the rambling Honda girl. "Well, I suppose we better get started on the Geography portion of the study notes…" she started, heading in the direction of Tohru's room.

It took Tohru a moment to recover, before she smiled and ran to catch up with her older friend.

Having had studied for the past few hours, Motoko was starting to get weary of the routine of going of notes and explaining what they meant. Yuki still hadn't yet to show up, and Tohru wasn't getting any of the stuff Motoko explained to her. After question after question, Tohru had decided to take a bathroom break, and left Motoko alone in the room. So, for the past few minutes Motoko had sat quietly, staring at the wall, in Prince Yuki's house, waiting for her new friend, while still having not seen the Prince since they arrived earlier.

Motoko's eyes shot to the door as she sensed someone looking in. Sighing at the sight of orange, she spoke to the intruder.

"If you're looking for Tohru, she's in the bathroom".

The person disappeared in an attempt to remain 'unseen', but Motoko called out again. "Why do you keep checking up on her anyway? What, this is like the…fourth, maybe?…time tonight you've glanced in".

Throwing open the door, Kyo glared at the fan club president. "Yah, so what if it is? You got a problem with that?"

Motoko just shook her head, smirking to herself. "If you like Tohru, why don't you just tell her?" she sighed, as though the problem was extremely simple.

The ferocity of the blush that swept over the teen's face confirmed her suspicions. "WHAT! I NEVER SAID ANY OF THAT CRAP!"

"You didn't need to…it's written all over your face…" the girl replied, pointing to Kyo's now bright red complexion. Kyo, unable to answer, just stared at Motoko as she continued. "You know, if you told her, you two would make a really cute couple…"

"WHO EVEN SAID THAT SHE WOULD LIKE ME BA-" Kyo's hand went to his mouth as he realized he had just admitted liking Tohru. Muttering, he continued. "I mean…she's got 'Prince Yuki', why would she want me…?"

"No…I'm pretty sure she likes you…and if your worried about Yuki, then ask Tohru out before he gets a chance…"

Kyo glared at Motoko. "Oh, you'd like that, I'm sure, because that means you wouldn't have any competition for your 'Prince'. You think that if Tohru's already dating someone, that that sissy boy would have to go out with YOU!"

The President of the Prince Yuki Fan Club was taken aback at the sudden shift in conversation. "What? I don't know what you're talking about!"

Entering the room, Kyo stood with his arms crossed, gritting his teeth angrily. "Don't play stupid with me…I'm on to you…" he said, taking Motoko by surprise. "I know you only befriended Tohru to get close to your precious 'Prince'…"

"But…"

"And let me tell you, you may have fooled Tohru and that stupid Yuki, but not me! And now, Tohru thinks of you as her friend! How could you do this to her? Do you have any idea what she's been through!"

"I-"

Bring his face close to hers, his eyes narrowed. "If you hurt Tohru in anyway, if you cause her any more grief, I WILL make you pay", he hissed menacingly.

Having nothing more to say, Kyo stormed out of the room, to cool off on his sanctuary…the roof. Motoko, on the other hand, stood staring at the door, lost in thought.

"Hello!" Tohru called happily, entering the room. Following behind her was Yuki, who, apparently, had finally accomplished whatever it was that had kept him from studying before. "We're already to start studying!" Realizing Motoko was standing, staring at the doorway, the two looked at her oddly.

"Miss Minagawa?"

"I…I have to go…", she said, starting to grab her things.

"You…wha…?" Tohru asked, confused. "But we still have plenty of time, you can stay a little longer…"

"No, I really should be going…" Pushing past the two, Motoko left the room.

Taking a second to let it sink in, Tohru took off and called to her friend.

Not sure whether to help or not, Yuki stood in the doorway, waiting. Just as he decided to go look for the two, Tohru came back…alone…

"Where's Miss Minagawa?" he asked, alarmed at the girl's sudden vanishing act.

"I…I…think she left…" Tohru replied, unsure of what had just happened. "Well, I suppose we could try studying from the notes she left here…"

"Alright…"

After two or three minutes of confused glancing at the pieces of paper, Yuki turned to Tohru. "Miss Honda…have you noticed that Miss Minagawa has been acting…sad lately?"

Tohru looked up, surprised that Yuki had too been thinking about Motoko. "I was thinking the same thing!"

"I wonder if something has happened…?"

Tohru's response was sincere. "Oh, I do hope she'll be alright!"

"So do I…" Yuki responded, staring out the window. "So do I…"

**Grrl N**- I absolutely HATE it when people drop stories, so I will not be dropping it :) But, again, I'm sorry about the lack of updates...a lot has been going on here and I'm a little overwhelmed.

**DivineGuardian**- Thank you for the review! (I LOVE long reviews!) I'll try to add more Haru and Momiji :) Thanks for the yen...the staff appreciates the pay raise ;P XD

**Malachite Iris**- Hehe, thanks ;)

**Satar**- For some reason I can seriously picture her with a Yuki pillow XP XD Sorry, this chapter was depressing too. I'm sad to say, it WILL be more serious here on out, though I will try to make things as humorous as possible :)

**Nyaa-Neko**-Well, if Kyo likes Tohru, and Tohru likes Kyo, then it definetly makes it more likely Motoko and Yuki will end up together...guess we'll just have to wait and see ;)

**CrazyInsaneAnimeFanGirl**- Don't worry, this is NOT a YukixTohru fic...while I do like that pairing, I'm a much bigger KyoxTohru pairing fan :D

**Inuyasha4ever9391**- I can't guarentee Ayame will be in the story...seeing as it mainly focuses on Motoko, and having her randomly meet Ayame wouldn't flow as well in the story...I WILL be adding more Haru, and Hatori WILL show up, though. Other than that, I can't tell you anything without giving away the ending XP XD

**Mandi**- shakes head Mandi, Mandi...this was NOT in the manga...maybe I should buy you the manga so you can reread it...

**Aura Black Chan**- Thank you so much for the reviews! You are one of the few people that have followed this story all the way through, and I really enjoy hearing from you:) Hope you liked this chapter:D

wipes forehead Glad that update is finally up...better start working on the next chapter!

PS: Yay! This is my first story to pass the 50 review mark! Thank you all for reviewing:D


	10. Deciept

I had this chapter done a few days ago, but my computer downstairs fried during the last thunderstorm, so I had to steal a laptop from someone to post this ;P :D -Yuki

**Deciept**

The sun shining, the birds singing, and the wind ruffling through the trees: today promised to be a good day. Students flocked into the school, chatting with friends, telling secrets, and doing last minute copying of homework before it was time to turn it in. However, there was one student who entered the building, with school the last thing on her mind.

"How could I be so stupid?" Motoko Minagawa asked herself as she made her way to her locker. "I couldn't seriously have believed that I could just suddenly change...go from no friends to close friends…go from hating Tohru to being best friends with her…go from having to steal glances at Yuki to eating dinner with him…this wasn't my intention. All I'm doing is causing problems for Tohru…if only I had never befriended her…but…

Clinging more tightly to her books, Motoko stared at the ground as she made her way through the crowded halls. Her mind wandered back to the first day she came to sit next to Tohru in lunch. That day had been the first day in a year that she had actually had someone to sit by…someone to share lunch with…and, Motoko had to admit, that more than anything had been the reason her "plan" had gotten off to a great start. But, as she came to know Tohru more and more, she realized, that behind the happy façade, Tohru was also someone who was just looking for a friend. That Tohru wasn't just another face in the crowd. That Tohru would be hurt if Motoko went through with the "plan". As much as Motoko would have not cared in the beginning, she had come to truly appreciate the Honda girl's company, and the last thing she wanted to do now was hurt Tohru.

A small, sad smile coming to her lips, Motoko looked up. Funny, because that seemed to be exactly what she was doing…or, at least that's what all of Tohru's friends were saying. And what about the Prince? Did he believe that too? Behind his smiling face, and handsome violet eyes, did there spark a suspicion that Motoko was conspiring against Tohru? No, Yuki wasn't like that. He wouldn't get suspicious of someone for no reason. And Tohru, surely she didn't see Motoko as an annoyance, let alone a traitor.

Upon reaching her locker, Motoko noticed the corner of an envelope sticking out of the bottom of it. Pulling the parcel out, she broke the seal (curiously, it was rice ball shaped… XP) and opened up a small letter.

_Motoko!_

_I just wanted to thank you again for helping Yuki and I study. We have our first test today just before lunch. We'll tell you how it went…hopefully well :) Thanks so much for helping us! You're the best:D_

_Your friend,_

_Tohru Honda_

Staring at the ink, it took Motoko a moment for Tohru's message to register. Then, a big smile lighting up her face, Motoko stuck the letter in her notebook. No, there was no doubt…Tohru saw her as a close friend, and nothing less. "Who cares what everyone else says?", Motoko said to herself. "As long as Tohru and I hang out together, I will try to be the kind of person worthy of Tohru…someone who Tohru can be proud to call her friend…(and then I'll rub it in that stupid carrot top's face XP XD)"

"President Motoko!"

The President of the Prince Yuki Fan Club almost dropped her books, surprised to see Minami appear out of nowhere.

"Mm…Minami…?" Collecting herself, she cleared her throat. "What is it…?"

"I know this is unexpected…but I was wondering…". The pig-tailed girl stared at her senior. "…Why haven't you been showing up to the Prince Yuki Fan Club meetings lately? It's been hard to get anything done without you…"

Motoko stood there, locker open, studying the younger girl. Up until recently, Minami had been the closest thing Motoko had ever had to a best friend. While the relationship had been completely superficial (Motoko was the source of power in the club, and to get anywhere you had to be near her), in a way, the President had developed a slight bond with the girl. However, as much as she may like her, she couldn't be trusted. She couldn't be told the real reasons why Motoko had been "missing" the meetings.

"A lot has been happening lately…what, with all the teachers trying to prep us for college entrance exams…why do you ask?"

"Oh…no reason…just wondering". Minami stood silent for a moment before starting again. "So…how is the plan going? Gotten any dirt on the Honda girl yet?"

A swift shake of the head told the fan club girl no.

"Why not?"

"Like I said, I've been too busy with school work. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Motoko attempted to leave, only to be stopped by the fellow fan club member.

"Motoko", the girl said, in a seriousness the fan club president wasn't even aware she could achieve. "Is everything alright?"

Bewildered by the question, Motoko stared as she tried to think of a response. Apparently Minami was concerned about her…she even had her hand on Motoko's shoulder… "I'm fine…why do you ask?"

A slight smile coming to Minami's face, she responded. "No reason, you've just been busy lately, and I've been worried about you". Giving Motoko ample time to respond, the senior of the two just stared at the younger. "Well…", Minami started, after a few seconds had passed, "I better let you go…seeing as you've got classes to go to…" As she started to walk away from Motoko, she turned back one last time. "Hey…if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm here for you".

Motoko's word of thanks went unnoticed, seeing as Minami disappeared as quickly as she had come. Staring after the girl for a few moments, Motoko's mind raced. What had that been about? What did missing a few Prince Yuki Fan Club meetings matter? To be quite honest, Motoko had been avoiding the meetings…but usually on days that that happened the girls were able to run them without question. However, to have Minami come and ask her about it…and say she was concerned about the elder…that was a surprise. Musing to herself, Motoko headed in the direction of Tohru's locker. "Hmmm, maybe she's not as bad as I thought…"

(_Oh, Motoko…how wrong you are_!)

(_For at that very moment, Minami had caught up with the other fan club members and was being interrogated by Rika_)

"So, did you manage to slip the microphone onto her?"

Minami nodded vigorously.

"And you are sure no one else was watching?"

More nods from the fan club's vice president.

"Good", Rika replied. "It is imperative that no one, and I mean NO ONE, is to know about this little mission of ours. Agreed?"

"Ummm…President Rika? Should we really be tracking Motoko like this? Is it all right to invade her privacy like this? I feel kind of bad about doing it…" Minami hung her head, now second-guessing the betrayal of her former "friend".

Sighing, the new, self-appointed Prince Yuki Fan Club President folded her arms. "This is a necessary operation. Until we know what is up with our 'former president', the club won't be able to move forward, especially with our 'Get Rid of Tohru Honda Operation'. If my suspicious are correct, and Motoko has actually befriended the little witch, then we will have no choice but to try her for treason…"

The other three fan club members shivered, all knowing the severe punishments that would await Motoko should she be found guilty.

Rika smiled a smile of satisfaction, her point having gotten across to the girls. "Remember: this is for the good of the club…and most of all, for our beloved Prince Yuki…"

"For our beloved Prince Yuki…" the girls repeated.

"All right, meet me outside the Fan Club's tech room as soon as school gets out. We'll be monitoring her from there". As the group dispersed, Rika glanced at a school clock. A sly grin creeping across her face, the girl continued down the hallway. "It's curtains for you, Motoko Minagawa…"

**Aura Black Chan**- I'm glad you liked it:DI figured Kyo, if anybody, would be the one to figure out what's going on...well, besides Saki. While I probably won't directly mention it in the story, Saki tends to be good when it comes to knowing these things :)

**Grrl N**- Thank you so much for the review! Although people may not always realize it, but they really do help me write better, since I know people are following it and enjoying it :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D

**Satar**- Ya, once again, sorry for not updating sooner ;) I'll try to get in the habit of writing more...infact, I've officially put this story on the front burner and will not work on my other ones until this one is complete XD

**CrazyInsaneAnimeFanGirl**- To tell you the truth, I actually don't follow the manga online. I wait until the books are realeased in English, so I'm only up to #11 (I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't read the spoilers XP XD) She does? Oh, that's so cute! 


	11. Peace Before the Storm

Alright, I realize I haven't made the official announcement yet, so here it is: as of now all of my other stories are temporarily on hold until i finish this one. I realized juggling four stories at once was getting me nowhere, so I decided I will focus on and finish up one at a time. I'm not sure which one I'll will go on to once I am done this one...my Bust A Groove story only has one chapter left so I may just get that done and over. Anyway, I've planned it out, and there are probably going to be about seven or eight chapters more in this story. Oh, sorry for the long intro! Just thought I'd let you know -Yuki

**Peace Before the Storm**

The lunchtime bell sounded, signaling the start of the "most looked forward to" part of the school day. Motoko sat eating her school bought lunch, pleasantly unaware of the deceit and betrayal going on behind her very own back. Calmly eating a bowl of ramen, she scanned the nearly empty table. Since the second year standard tests overlap into the lunch period, the Prince Yuki Fan Club president's only company at the moment was the chipper little blonde boy and the tall, silent, white-haired teen that were related to Yuki. Stopping but a moment from her chewing of the ramen in her mouth, Motoko realized with a mild surprise that she no longer referred to Yuki Sohma as "the Prince", but rather, by his first name. In fact, in the past few weeks, spending more time near him…being able to talk with him…she had gotten to know him so much better. No longer was he but an object for her to pour her affection out on to. Now he was a person, a human…not the majestic, infallible idol that she had spent the past two years of her life worshiping. Of course, by all means, that doesn't imply that she had stopped loving him (why wouldn't she have stopped loving him? She's Motoko Minagawa: obsessed teenage drama queen! Good gravy, the story would have to pretty much end here if she just stopped loving him like that! XP Anyway…)

"So…you like Yuki, huh…"

Turning bright red, Motoko's head snapped up as she stared at the guy sitting across from her. What? Where had this come from? She had only talked with him briefly for a few times…so how would he…?

Hatsuharu smirked to himself. Watching the girl as she apparently had some sort of internal struggle was rather entertaining. Being the observant person he was, he had known all along her feelings towards Yuki; they were etched in her very being. Everything she did, everything she said, only hinted at a deeper love hidden behind a typical teenage façade. Haru could have told her right then and there it was written all over her face, but then, watching her panic as she did over such a little thing was too much fun. So, instead, he decided to temporarily change the conversation.

"How do you think the tests are going for Tohru and the others?"

All too willing to get off the topic of her personal life, Motoko's response was immediate. "Oh, I don't know. I mean, when I took it, it was really hard, but, then again, I didn't really do much studying for it. They'll probably do really well on it".

"Hey, Momiji!" Motoko and Haru's attention were redirected to the two students that now stood next to the blonde.

"Hmmm?"

"We were going to get a game of Rich Man, Poor Man going, and we were wondering if you'd like to play!" one of the students said, her voice bubbling with excitement.

"Sure, I'd love to!" Momiji replied. "I won't be too long", he added to his two older friends. Waving back at them, he joined the two girls and left.

"Rich Man, Poor Man…" Motoko mused to herself, "…it's been awhile since I last played-"

"You know, he doesn't like it".

"Wha…?"

"When you and your club infatuate yourselves with him…you make him uncomfortable".

It took Motoko a few moments to realize that the white-haired teen was not talking about his blonde relative, but rather, his silver-haired one. Staring at him as he gazed off into the distance, she allowed his words to sink in, as he continued talking.

"Yuki's not one who enjoys getting attention, especially in large quantities. Not that he minds being around you, or your 'friends' for that matter...in fact, his being around you may have been doing him some good... just cut all that 'Fan Club' crap. When you 'pour out your love' on him like that, you are really only causing him pain…you, all of you, your obsession with him is only hurting him…"

Her eyes widened in realization. Yuki…hurt…by fan club…only hurting him…only causing him pain…making him uncomfortable. While she could understand that he would get annoyed with it from time to time, as any normal human being would, it had never occurred to her that the Prince Yuki Fan Club was actually causing him trouble. So, all this time, the club's efforts had been in vain. Though their intentions were that this was 'all for the Prince', all of their toils and troubles only made him uneasy, if not caused him to suffer.

"I…I had no idea", was all she could get to come out of her mouth.

This alone seemed to satisfy Hatsuharu, as he let a slight smirk come to his face. Being finished with his lunch, he stood up, preparing to leave. However, he allowed himself to stop, and turn back to Motoko once more. "I think you and Yuki would make a good couple", he said, smiling as he watched her turn bright red. And, with that, he turned, leaving, Motoko sitting by herself to think about what had just happened.

Had this whole conversation occurred just a month before (it's hard to believe, but Motoko set her plan into action a couple of weeks ago…almost one whole month ago…just a thought…), Motoko's typical response would have been "And how is this any of your business?" But much had changed in the passing days, and now, having received advice from someone who actually seemed to be cheering her on, Motoko was prepared to take it and use it to better herself in whatever ways possible.

With her lunch almost done, and nothing better to do, Motoko watched the Rich Man, Poor Man game from afar. Momiji, while not really an advanced player, won the occasional game…when he was lucky. Regardless of how many times he lost, he still had looked like he was having a good time. Motoko smiled to herself. Now that was something she'd love to do.

"It's been so long since I've last played, maybe I could get a game going…" she unconsciously spoke aloud, as she had a tendency to do.

"Get a game of what going?"

Motoko watched as a smiling Tohru slid into the seat next to her, and, unable to restrain it, felt her face too light up with a smile. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just been so long since I last played Rich Man, Poor Man, I can hardly even remember the rules anymore!"

Following Tohru's lead, the two Sohma boys slid into seats across from the girls, each in relatively good moods (come on, is Kyo ever fully in a good mood XP XD JK, I love Kyo :D)

"So", Motoko said, unable to hold back her anxiousness any longer. "How did the test go?"

"It went really well!" Tohru replied happily. "I actually was able to figure out most of the questions, and the essay part was really easy!"

"That's good", Motoko smiled at her friend. "How did it go for your two?" she asked, turning to the two boys.

"It was okay…I guess…" Kyo replied, his usual scowl lightened a little, signaling Kyo was in a pretty good mood.

"It went quite well", Yuki responded. "Although, I have to say, Miss Honda and I wouldn't have done quite as well if it wasn't for you".

Motoko felt her cheeks flush as Yuki's handsome purple eyes rested on her own. "It was nothing", she mumbled, too embarrassed to speak up.

"No, it really does mean a lot to us!" Tohru added. "That you would take time out of your day to help us study…really, thank you so much!"

Motoko joined the younger of the two in smiling.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Tohru started. "I was wondering if you'd like to stay over tonight"

Motoko was taken aback. "B..But why? The tests are finished, you don't need my help anymore!"

"Oh, no, not to study! I was thinking, since tomorrow is Sunday, and we don't have school, you could spend the night…that is, of course, unless you don't want to! I mean, if you've got other plans, of course I wouldn't be offended if you turned me down, I just thought-"

Motoko's eyes widened as she realized what the now babbling girl was saying. Tohru wanted her to come over…not to study…but to hang out…to be friends, together. A smile playing on her lips as she felt them quiver with happiness, Motoko nodded. "Yes…thank you very much…"

Tohru was delighted by her friend's response. "Your welcome!"

Yuki smiled as he watched the two girls make plans for their evening tonight. It was nice to see Tohru had a friend who, for once, was helping her, instead of being helped by her. And, while it seemed a little strange at first, the teen was beginning to realize that the more time he spent around Miss Minagawa, the more he enjoyed her company. A blush coming to his face at the thought, Yuki shook off the feeling, and satisfied himself with watching the two girls happily talk. Yes, everything was right in the world…for now…

(Oh, a note before I do the reviews. Well, three notes actually...Number One: Yuki is would obviously not know about Tohru's healing affect on Motoko, since that is almost entirely internal. I just wanted to point that out to anyone who may be thinking "What do you mean, Tohru hasn't helped her?"

Number Two: The title of the last chapter is spelled wrong. It's supposed to be deceit, not deciept. Sorry for the inconvienence XP

Number Three: It has been pointed out to me that my random comments and smilies in the middle of stories are distracting. I originally had them there sort of to lighten the mood, but if they are distracting, I'd like to know. When you review, please tell me your opinion on this. It will help my writing style for future chapters :) Thanks)

**Hopeless Romantic**- Heh, same here ;P They should seriously make pillows with Yuki's face on it...they would sell like crazy (atleast, I'd buy a ton of them! XP XD)

**inuyasha94**- Yo! Everyone is my homie, whether I know them or not! XD I'm glad you liked it so much...I am honored! Heh, I've done that with some stories before too:D Thank you so much for the kind review! No! Not angry rats! Anything but that! I'll do anything! ANYTHING! Oh, you want me to update? Alright! Hope you liked this chapter :D Peace out!

**Satar**- I have heard that teenage girls can be the most ruthless of beings (I would know, being one XP)...to that, I would like to add especially crazed, obssesed fan club girls. Yay! Thank you for the review:D

**CrazyInsaneAnimeFanGirl**- I don't know why they don't! Then again, if they haven't really ever talked to Tohru, they wouldn't know how nice she is, and they'd assume the worst, which is that she is a coniving little witch out to steal Yuki for her very own. I'm happy that they are friends too. When I watched the anime (and read the manga), Motoko stuck me as the type who doesn't have any real friends, and I thought it would be nice to see her truly happy every once in awhile :)

**Aura Black Chan**- True, very true :) While I don't want to give anything away, Iwill way this...not all "ever afters" are happy...

**SockMan**- First of all, I'd like to say "THANK YOU for the review". It's not often I have someone who will actually give me advice on how to improve my writing, which I tend to be in desperate need of. Humanizing Motoko was one of my main goals of the story...I'm someone who tends to try to write for the 'villian'...show a more human side of a character who is depicted as an antagonist. So to have you say that like how I've done it, that makes me happy.

I'm very sorry about the random comments...I don't really do that in my other stories. For some reason, with this one, I tend to get a little "comment happy". I'm sorry for the inconvience. I'll try to cut back on them in the future (as you will see, this chapter only has one. I completed this chapter before I got your review, so I spent the last few minutes pulling them out and filling the spaces with more meanigful sentences).

The thing about quotation marks for thoughts: those are entirely intentional. As you see in episode 22 of the anime (if you've seen it), Motoko has a tendency to talk to herself, or speak her thoughts aloud. I've especially illustrated this in my storyas a sort of comical trait of our story's protagonist. This is why I'd prefer the reader to use their own imagination as to whether Motoko is thinking this or actually, unknowingly, saying it aloud.

I thank you for all of your commentation on potential hazards in a relationship between Yuki and Motoko...I will definetly take them into consideration as I continue to write and eventually close off this story. Thank you again for the review, and I await any more advice you may have for me in the future :)


	12. Anticipation

So many people were happy to see Hatsuharu show up in the previous chapter...I'm so happy:D Anyway (I apologize ahead of time for advertising), I have a new C2 Community that is devoted to Hatsuharu fics (especailly HaruxTohru fics, but welcomes others regarding our fav cow)(no yaoi), and anyone who is interested, feel free tocheck it out (or even subscribe!):) :D Alright, back to your regularly scheduled story -Yuki

**Anticipation**

Anticipation is a powerful thing. It can unnerve the calm, take breath away from the strong, and…miraculously stop time. As an airplane slows down in it's descent as it heads towards the ground, so too do the minutes that countdown the approach of a new beginning…or ending. A final destination, per say. As one draws nearer and nearer to the one thing most desired by that particular individual, time would essentially slow down, until everything would stop moving, and the person in question would find themselves forever stuck in a moment, awaiting the arrival of the time that would never come. Yes, anticipation is a powerful thing.

At least, that's what Rika Ida believed.

Sitting in her last class of the day, the new Prince Yuki Fan Club President glanced at the clock for the third time in the last five minutes. Was class ever going to end today? Oh, sure, the beginning of class went fine…the usual greeting from the teacher, the routine check of homework, and the class lecture when the teacher discovered most of them had conveniently 'forgotten' about it. In fact, the hour had seemed like it was sailing by…that is, until Rika starting checking the clock. Her first glance had been a casual one…just a brief look to note how many minutes were left in class. After discovering that more than half of the period was left, the teen amused herself with fiddling with her pen, chewing on the cap as she pretended to listen to the teacher. Surely such a task as biting the plastic off a pen cap would be time consuming…? Apparently not. Taking her second look at the clock, Rika noticed, to her surprise, only ten minutes had passed since her last glance. Not even bothering to look like she was even remotely interested in the teacher's droning anymore, she busied herself with doodling. That only lasted five minutes. As Rika's time checks became more and more frequent, the passage of time seemed to decay exponentially…each minute lasting four times as long as the previous.

"Darn it!" the impatient teen muttered as she checked the clock again. Had any time passed at all since she last looked? Glaring at the mechanical menace, Rika felt her heart beat rapidly as she watched the second hand make it's way slowly around the surface, anticipation building by the moment. As it neared the minute mark, the hand seemed to slow a little, and then…it stopped. Wait, it stopped? Blinking, Rika made sure she was seeing things right. Had the clock just stopped? No, it must still be moving…time couldn't seriously stop like that…

Shaking from nerves, Rika realized the class had suddenly become quiet. What had happened? Shouldn't the teacher be talking? Unless… "OH MY GOSH!" Rika clapped her hands to her mouth in horror. "TIME HAS STOPPED! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!"

"Well, will you look at that…the clock's stopped!"

Rika looked up in shock as she noticed the teacher standing next to her, staring at the wall clock. Wait, what? WHAT ABOUT THE TIME FREEZE!

"I told the principal these things were worthless…it was only a matter of time before it broke. Ah, well, no need for this anymore…", she said, tossing the clock in the trash bin before continuing, "…it's about time I let you out anyway…alright, have a wonderful weekend, class!"

Knees shaking, Rika tried to regain her breath. Grabbing her things, she joined the rest of the students as they filed out of the classroom. As she passed the trash bin, the Prince Yuki Fan Club President muttered random obscenities under her breath. Some of the students who passed her on their way out claim to have heard her muttering something about "…evil…evil…clock…I'll teach you to mess with me like that…"

Mai Gotou was manning the Prince Yuki Fan Club Tech Room when Rika burst in.

"Hey, President Rika, are you okay? You look a bit flustered".

Ignoring the subordinate's question, the Prince Yuki Fan Club President rummaged through a box of supplies while she asked one of her own: "Is everything all set for tonight?"

Mai answered, but seemed to have something on her mind. "Yah…um…hey…I started recording earlier today, like you asked me to, and, when I was going over the tape, I found something that was said during lun-"

Rika whipped around, and stared hard at the girl. "Is it about Tohru Honda?"

"Well, no, it's one of the Prince's cousins tal-"

"If it doesn't concern Tohru Honda, then it is of no use to us at this point in time", Rika cut her off, returning to her random rearranging of devices on the tech board. "This mission is our biggest concern at the moment, and we have to do everything in our power to make sure it runs smoothly. You say the microphone was working? Good, then we shouldn't have to worry about transmission problems…Where are Minami and Mio? They were supposed to be here by now!"

As if on cue, the two showed up then, carrying bags of food between them.

"Where were you two! I told you we were starting immedeatly after school, and you show up twenty minutes late! AND WHAT ON EARTH IS ALL THAT?" she spat, pointing at the bags.

"Well", Mio started, "seeing as we'll be staying here pretty late, Minami and I figured we should have some stuff to snack on while we work on the mission".

Rika's blank face gave away her obvious state of confusion. "We're staying late…?"

"Number Two, didn't you tell President Rika about the sleepover?" Minami glared at the youngest of the four girls.

"Well…I was going to…but I was going to tell her something else first and she cut me off-"

"Tell me now then!"

Mai watched as all three girls stared at her. Taking a deep breath, she launched into her narrative. "You see, the Honda girl invited Preside-" Mi faltered as she saw Rika glare at her, "…I mean, Motoko…to sleep over at her house tonight, and Pre-…Motoko…accepted…so the three of us decided it would help with the mission if we stayed here tonight and monitored everything she and Tohru say…you know…to-"

Rika held up her hand, stopping the girl mid sentence. So…Motoko was sleeping over at the witch's house? And here she had thought that the only recordings they'd get would be of Motoko possibly on the phone to her…this was perfect…oh, THIS WAS PERFECT!

An evil grin made it's way across Rika's face. This was too good! Not only will Motoko be talking with Tohru over the weekend…oh, no, not just that…but Motoko will be over at her house! There's no way they wouldn't be able to find an evidence of treachery once Motoko was alone with Tohru Honda! '_It's as though Motoko is trying to get caught_' Rika mused to herself.

"Alright, seeing as we'll be here all night, let's organize shifts. We'll each take turns monitoring Motoko and Tohru, sound fair?"

The other three girls nodded, none too willing to get stuck with the first watch. However, there nerves were immedeatly calmed.

"I'll take first watch", Rika said, seating herself in a nearby chair.

"In that case, we'll get the food heated up", Minami volunteered. "There's got to be a microwave in the teacher's lounge…we'll just sneak in once we're sure it's empty". Eager to get some food, the three girls dashed out of the Prince Yuki Fan Club tech room.

"Mio! Make sure your back here within the next two hours. You'll have the next watch!" Rika called after the brunette. Sighing, the self-appointed president messed with the soundboard, flipping switches and turning dials. Making sure the recorder was functioning, and doing a final check of the electrical cords, Rika place the headphones over her ears.

While it may have escaped the other fan club members, it was obvious as to why Rika had chosen first watch. Anything incredibly crucial to the mission was most likely to be said within the first few hours, and there was no way she was leaving such a heavy responsibility to a couple of space cadets. No, this was too big. Motoko needed to be caught…needed to be revealed for the traitor she was…and Rika wanted to be the one to do it.

Crossing her fingers, the teen inhaled deeply. "Alright, here it goes". Flipping the power switch, Rika's heart stopped and her jaw hung open, shocked at the first thing she heard.

* * *

(Author's note) I apologize for not including Motoko, Yuki or Tohru in this chapter...I just felt the need to include a chapter regarding the preperations for the Fan Club's mission. All chapters here on out include the main characters :)

**Cor-chan**- WhileHaru's speechwasn't brought up really in this chapter (except when Mi was trying to tell Rika about it), it will probably be refered to later :)

**inuyasha94**- I'm glad you like the smilies :D But I have to drop them anyway...too many other people said they were distracting :( Thanks for the review :)

**dianna**- Hehe, thanks :)

**mystlady**- The OC...? I can't say I've ever seen the show...so I'm not sure if that's really a compliment or not...(confused) Heh, thanks for the review!

**Lily x James 4 eva**- Momiji strikes me as the type to just randomly skip through a field of daisies XP Thank you for the review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter XD

**Aura Black Chan**- I'll try to keep comments out of the story...that's more something I did in the beginning of the story, but I'm getting better at just writing :) The fan club is going to be TICKED when they find out Tohru is living at their Prince's house! May the Lord have mercy on Motoko and save her from the wrath of these girls! XP XD

**SpiffyKoala**- Gosh, why does your name have so many llama related letters! XP XD Lalalala, yay, gym is almost over!

**SockMan**- I'm sorry...but can you really blame me? You can't expect a 10th grader to be a perfect writer...it's a miracle I can even type in complete sentences XD Jk, I'm exaggerating. Anyway, I appreciate your reviews :) I'll try to fix my psudo writing...but that's a problem I've had for awhile and probably can't be fixed immedeatly...it will take time, but, maybe by the final chapter, I'll be able to complete a thought without totally obliterating it :)

PS: Incase you didn't notice, I added a line after the chapter, to seperate the end with the author's note :)

**DarkFyrea**- I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for the review :D

**Satar**- We can only expect something evil from the fan club girls...so it will be exciting to see what happens! You'll have to wait a chapter or two, though, to find out XP

**Nyaa-Neko**- Believe it or not...I too am human (gasp!) XP Ya, spelling and grammar are my worst subjects in school...it's so weird then that I love writing if I can't even do it properly! XD I too am a huge KyoxTohru and YukixMotoko fan...but then again, I'm a fan of almost every pairing XP :D Thank you for the awesome reveiw, you are too kind :)

**Inuyasha4ever9391**- Haru's my favorite too! What are the odds... XP Hey, since you like Haru, you should check out my C2 Communtiy...it's devoted to our beloved Haru...(ah! I wasn't supposed to advertise in my review responses...I'm sorry!) Thanks for the review :)

**sophya**- I agree, Motoko's being nice IS out of her league...then again, you never know ;) 


	13. Confessions

AH! Gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, please forgive me! I have had a severe case of writer's block, which has affected ALL of my writing. Please forgive me! I'll have the next chapter up within a week, I PROMISE! -Yuki

**Confessions**

"Well, we're home", Yuki said, opening the front door.

"Welcome back!" Shigure called from the next room. "And how was school today?"

"It was good, thank you!" Tohru replied, putting her back away. "I'll be right back, okay?" she added to Motoko.

The senior hardly had time to reply as her friend skipped into the next room. Putting her own bag next to Tohru's, she stood awkwardly at the door, not wanting to intrude on Tohru and Shigure's conversation, and yet not bold enough to strike up her own with one of the two boys. So, she contented herself with standing at the threshold of the house, staring blankly down the hallway, waiting for her friend to finish.

"Ummm, Shigure?"

Shigure looked up from his newspaper to see Tohru standing before him. "Hm?"

"Well, I was wondering…would it be alright if Motoko stayed the night? I know this is kind of sudden…and I'm sorry I didn't really ask you ahead of time…"

"Of course! Anything for my little flower!"

Too overjoyed to pay heed to the last comment, Tohru bowed energetically. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise we won't be too much troub-"

"Here's a thought…how about I go out and pick up dinner? While I'm at it, I'll rent some movies for you and Motoko…"

"Oh no! I couldn't ask you to go to all that trouble!"

The elder smiled. "It's no trouble…really. I should probably head out soon, though, if I'm to be back by dinner time".

As Shigure stood up and prepared to leave, Tohru couldn't help but let out a final word of thanks. "Really, thank you so much!"

Turning to look at her, he just smiled in response. Tohru smiled, and waved as he left through the side door. "Shigure is so nice! He's always thinking about others…it's no wonder people look up to him". (Ayame told her the last part...it's not true)

As he closed the door behind him, Shigure made sure no one could be watching, before he took off skipping down the path. While volunteering to pick up movies for others may seem like a nice thing to Tohru, no one told her that the video store was now owned and operated by a team of incredibly good looking high school girls…

"Miss Minagawa?"

Motoko snapped out of her trance, to find the bright eyes of Yuki staring into her own. "Y-y-yes?" she stuttered in reply, shocked at the sudden attention.

"You don't have to stand there like a stranger, come on in", he said, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Thank you…" was all Motoko could reply with. Blushing furiously, the senior attempted to pass her Prince with dignity, but instead stumbled on the first step and awkwardly regained her balance.

"Are you alright, Miss Minagawa?"

"I'm fine", she muttered, every once of dignity gone, and fresh wave of embarrassment washing over her. Entering the living room, she found Kyo and Tohru already there, the latter shuffling a deck of cards.

"Hi!" Tohru called to the two. "While Shigure's out picking up dinner, I thought we could play Rich Man, Poor Man!"

"Sounds fun", Yuki replied with a smile. Motoko watched as her Prince seated himself at the table, and followed his example.

Whatever feeling of awkwardness Motoko may have felt at the beginning of her visit had evaporated by the time Shigure had returned with dinner. Having warmed up, Motoko was actually pretty talkative, laughing and joining in with the others. In fact, Shigure noticed, the four of them got along quite well together. Watching them sprawled out in front of the TV now, watching a movie, the elder smirked. If he didn't know any better, he'd think they were on a double date. To think, Tohru and Kyo, watching a romantic movie, while Tohru's friend sat next to her "Prince" in complete and utter bliss…oh, this was too good. "I'll have to tell Aaya about this", the older Sohma said aloud, heading towards the phone. "Besides, I haven't gotten to tell him yet what I said to some of the pretty high school girls working the video rental store!"

As the screen flashed to black, and the credits started to roll, Yuki flipped on the lights. Kyo stood and stretched, while Tohru and Motoko chattered excitedly about the movie.

"Wasn't that just the best ending ever?" Motoko gushed.

"Oh, of course! I cried when they found the girl's kitten", Tohru said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I just love TV movies!"

"Oh! That reminds me…Shigure went and picked up movies for us!" Tohru turned to the pile of DVDs Shigure had left sitting on a pile in the floor. "We should watch one, since he went through all the trouble to get them and everything…"

Motoko put a finger to her lip, deep in thought. "I wonder kind of movies he would have picked out…"

Tohru picked up a couple. "These sound interesting: **Passionate Souls**, **Naughty Girls**, and **Dirty Little Game**…I wonder why they all have pictures of girls on the cover…?"

The boys froze in horror. One second later, and they had shoved the pile of movies away from the innocent Tohru, and plucked the remaining ones from her hand.

"WHO THE HECK LET THAT PERVERT PICK OUT THE MOVIES!" Kyo dug through the movies in a disgusted rage.

Tohru had managed to maintain a hold on one of the DVDs. "**A Summer Colored Sigh**…hey, isn't this the book Shigure wrote?"

Yuki took the DVD from Tohru and studied it. "Shigure never told us his book was made into a movie…"

"YOU MEAN THAT IDIOT GOT RICH OFF A MOVIE HE PRODUCED AND DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO SHARE THE MONEY WITH US!" Kyo flipped out in the corner.

Motoko, upon seeing the cover of the movie, was going to be sick to her stomach. "Your cousin…writes **those** kinds of books…?"

Ever the optimist, Tohru joins a taken aback Kyo in searching through the pile. "Well, there must be something in here that we can enjoy…after all, he did spend all that time picking out these movies for us. The least we can do is watch one!"

With a sigh of defeat, Kyo leaned against the wall. "Whatever…"

"While you're searching, why don't I go make popcorn?" Yuki smiled at the girls, and Motoko blushed. "We seem to have run out…"

"Hey!" Kyo shot at his relative. "Don't give me that look! I'm not who finished it!"

"Right…" Yuki turned to leave toward the kitchen and was followed by the angry red head, who was yelling "IT WASN'T ME!"

As the room once again became calm, Motoko sat down next to Tohru to help her look through the pile of "Adult Fantasies", as Shigure would say. A few silent moments passed, and then Tohru turned to her companion.

"I'm really glad you could come". She smiled.

Motoko replied with a "thank you for inviting me", and returned back to the movie searching. Tohru, on the other hand, hadn't finished her train of thought.

"I really do enjoy spending time with you…" she said, and, after a few seconds of decision, added "…and so does Yuki".

Motoko's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and, her sudden inability to speak kept her from a response. Gasping out a reply, Motoko attempted to divert the subject. "Oh…I…umm…they seem to really care about you a lot".

"Hmmm?" Tohru didn't know whether to be pleased or frightened. She chose to be confused.

Motoko continued. "…the way they dove to keep you from these movies…those two really look out for you…especially Kyo…"

Kyo was leaving the kitchen after giving up trying to defeat that da rat. As he made his way along the hallway, he stopped, at the sound of his name.

Tohru turned quickly, blushing furiously, to Motoko. "Oh, no, I don't think…"

"It's true", Motoko continued; glad to get off the subject of her and Yuki. "I've noticed over the past few weeks how Kyo is protective of you. He's almost like…an older brother to you…"

The words hung in the air, like a pressing fog that refused to lift. Motoko realized her mistake too late, and sighed in defeat. It all came down to this: if Tohru thought of Kyo as an older brother, she was more likely to be in love with Yuki, which would be devastating to the Prince Yuki Fan Club President. Taking a deep breath, Motoko asked it: "Do you…like…either of them?"

The emphasis on the word "like" had been so strong, that there was no room for Tohru to pretend she meant "as a friend". "Well…Yuki's nice…"

Surprised to have actually successfully cooked something without burning it, Yuki held the bowl of steaming popcorn out before him as he walked down the hallway. He stopped when he saw Kyo peering into the living room. "What are you DOING?" he hissed.

Kyo put a finger to his lips to signal silence, but, despite the command, Yuki wasn't about to give into to his life-long enemy. "Are you eavesdropping, stupid cat? Don't you know that's wrong!"

Slapping a hand over his relative's mouth, Kyo leaned forward so his whisper of a voice could be heard. "Just thought you'd like to know, they're talking about YOU now".

"…and he's always helping me with chores. He really has been very kind to me…but…"

"But?" Motoko's eyebrows raised in question, breathing in.

"…but if he were to have feelings for me, I could never return his love…"

"So you don't like him?"

After a moment of silence, the other girl shook her head sadly.

The elder girl's heart rang with joy. That's it! No competition! No one stood between her and her beloved Yuki. And it was all because of Tohru, that she would actually get her Prince…her Happily Ever After.

Wanting to return the favor, Motoko decided to help Tohru potential love. "…and what about Kyo?"

At this, Tohru turned bright red, and her head hung in embarrassment. "Kyo is also really nice to me…and, despite how it seems, deep down he's a good person…"

Motoko put her hand on Tohru's knee and smiled knowingly at the younger girl. "You love him, don't you?" she said softly.

Tohru's blush grew more intense, but, upon meeting Motoko's gaze, a small smile spread across her face. "Yes…" she replied quietly. "…I do…"

Squealing (as only a teenage girl could do), Motoko leaned forward. "Isn't it great to be in love?" she asked her friend.

Tohru, caught up in the moment and excited by her own confession, nodded vigorously.

Motoko sighed delightedly. "And to think, all this time the two of you having been living together, a secret romance has been blossoming. The senior placed a hand on her heart and dramatically called out "It's as though it were destiny!"

Tohru laughed at Motoko's antics, blushing all the while. "Hey", she said during a break in the dramatization, "You like Yuki, don't you?"

Immedeatly Motoko froze up.

Startled by the sudden silence, and afraid she had said something wrong, Tohru stuttered. "…I mean, you're president of the Prince Yuki Fan Club…and you two seem perfect for each other, so I just assumed…" She sighed. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to jump to conclusi-"

"I do…love Yuki…"

* * *

(Author's note) Sorry for the sudden cut off...I just wanted to be sure I got this chapter up as soon as possible. Don't worry, Motoko won't be left hanging for long XP

**mystlady**- Hey! Long tome no write! XP How's your story coming along?

**LilyGinnyBlack**- Thank you so much for the kind review! Being told that I kept the characters in character is one of the nicest things someone can say. Thank you so much:D

**dianna**- I hope you enjoyed this much delayed update ;)

**CrazyInsaneAnimeFanGirl**- Anticipation is one of the most powerful things out there! Right now, anticipation for Christmas is killing me! XP XD

**DarkFyrea**- Hmmm...I like Naruto, but I don't know the characters very well...I'll have to check it out ;) Sorry, though, I'm not a HaruxKyo fan, or a fan of any yaoi for that matter :(

**DivineGuardian**- I've missed your reviews! XP Not that I'm one to talk...I haven't updated in months...

**Aura Black Chan**- Yes, amen to that!

**Nyaa-Neko**- I wouldn't be suprised if their were typos...I can't spell save my life XP

**SpiffyKoala**- I loved "A Separate Peace"! I should write a fanfic for it...

**Sk8er7**- Yay, I'm glad you enjoy reading it so much:) Sorry for the long wait for an update!

**sophya**- Yes, I know I'm evil, but that's the joy of cliffhangers ;P

**Ethereal Light**-As of right now, I can't specify as to whether this will be a YukixMotoko fic or not, but, as you can probably tell from this chapter, this will NOT be a YukixTohru fic. Sorry :( 


	14. Shock

Okay, I know you all hate me for my WAY past deadline update...

(sigh) I had this ready to be up around Christmas, and, well, on Christmas day I recieved a bunch of non-Fruba gifts that made me instantly hooked on this other series... so I haven't been in much of a Fruba mood lately... I'm sorry...

Blame it on FMA! Ed is such a hottie! -Yuki

**Shock**

Mio stared boredly at the wall adjacent the door to the girl's restroom. Having long since finished their microwaveable dinners and consumed a six pack of cola, the Prince Yuki Fan Club members were taking a much needed restroom break.

Deciding her nails were a much more interesting sight, Mio studied them as she waited for Minami and Mi to finish up. This was wasting time. Not that she had anything better to do at the moment. The girls had yet to receive the anticipated call from Rika on the changing of "spy" duty. It had been more than four hours since their new president had sent them off, declaring "I'll take the first watch". Not that Mio minded…she'd rather be doing anything than be stuck in the club's tech room listening to meaningless conversations…she was just curious about the Rika's prolonged interest in the job. Maybe she was just giving the girls time to relax (Mio scoffed at the idea of actually having a nice president), or maybe…

Mio looked up suddenly. Maybe something was happening! Something big! Something so big…THAT RIKA WANTED TO KEEP IT ALL TO HERSELF! THAT WITCH!

Minami exited the restroom, feeling relieved. Boy, do three cans of soda really take their toll on you! Just as she shut the door, a blur of blue uniform and brown hair rushed past her. "Hey!" she after Mio, "where are you going! Hey! WAIT FOR ME!"

Yuki should have been sad. He knew he should have. After all, Tohru Honda was his first real love, and to hear her say she thought of him as nothing more than a brother…it was heart wrenching. It was supposed to be heart wrenching. But…but…somehow, all this time, he knew. He knew that despite her endless kindness towards him, his feelings were one sided. He knew, that there was something in that smile of hers that only showed fully when she was smiling at Kyo. It hurt him. It was supposed to hurt him. But…

He had known Miss Minagawa for almost two years now, and she still managed to surprise him. Sure, she was in the Prince Yuki Fan Club, (she was the flippin president!), but what girl wasn't? But…to hear her say she loved him…to think that anyone actually LOVED him…

Kyo, overcoming his own stunned self, turned uneasily to his rival. The news that Tohru loved him more that the rat was a shock to Kyo, and no doubt a shock to Yuki too. As much as he hated the rat, he felt a little bad. After all, it was obvious his gray haired relative had been smitten with the girl. "Hey Yuki…I…" he stopped, shocked as he watched a small smile come to his rival's face. "Hey, what are YOU smiling for?"

Yuki shook his head, but the smile grew even bigger. "Nothing". Avoiding the cat's confused gaze, he made as if to enter the room. "We should probably go in…the girls will be wondering what happened to the popcorn".

Mio dashed down the hallways. Classrooms passed left and right, but she kept her focus on the door ahead of her: The Fan Club Tech Room. Ignoring the cries of Minami and Mi behind her, she increased her speed. She had to know what was going on. She had to…she…

Upon reaching the door, she flung in open. "WHAT'S HAPPENING, YOU HAV-" The look on Rika's face shut her up.

At that moment, Minami and Mi reached the room. "Hey, what's going on? What's with President Rika?"

Mio strode over to where their president was frozen stiff and examined her. The look of shock seemed to be plastered on her face, as though it had been there for a very long time. Her headphones just barely dangled from her ears; she hadn't bothered to try and fix them.

Mio's first feelings of sympathy toward the apparently stunned president were wearing off quickly: her curiosity was too strong, and the overwhelming impatience that had been boiling up inside of her was about to burst. "What is it! What the heck is going on!"

Turning, as though seeing them for the first time, Rika's lip quivered in confusion. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a mumble.

"What is she saying!" Minami demanded, her curiosity too to it's breaking point.

Clearing her throat, Rika tried again. "M…m…mmm…motoko!"

Sitting down next to Rika, Mio put on a pair of headphones. "That witch is SO DEAD!"

* * *

(Author's note)Sorry for such a short chapter...I figured I'd get this up ASAP and try to get the rest of it up within the week.

**Nyaa-Neko**- Heh, ya, this chapter is kind of a filler chapter... XO Though it's really only technically half a chapter, because I was going to add another page but I figured I should update pretty dang quickly, before some impatient fan comes and rips my head off XP

**skibbles 09**- Hey, thanks for the review :D

**dianna**- Sorry for the long wait...I'm sort of struggling on this right now...stupid writer's block... XP

**Aura Black Chan**- Someone should, but, we'll have to see, now won't we XP I know, I'm being stupid XD

**CrazyInsaneAnimeFanGirl**- (Glomps back) Yay, a review! That would be hilarious if Motoko met Ayame...I originally was going to have that in the story, but, I'm starting to wrap it up, so there isn't really time to throw him in there :(

**hurleysuki**- She's one of my favs too...probably my favorite girl ;) Thanks for reminding me to update, it really does help! ;)

**Inuyasha4ever9391**- Thanks for the review! It was fun to read :)

**MyLovelyDays**- Ya, I hate being left on a cliffhanger...sadly, this story is getting to be very cliff hanger-ey XP

**vbabe24**- Sorry, no one really "gets together" in this chapter...I'll try to have that in the next one.

**mystlady**- DarkxTohru pairing? That would be fun! I'd love to see how that turns out :D

(PS) We have officially hit the 100 review mark! Thank you for all of you who review...it really helps motivate me to keep going even with writer's block:D


	15. Trial

Yay, I actually updated :D -Yuki

**Trial**

Mondays are terrible days. After a nice break from the trials of school life, Mondays usher in the horrors that it took all weekend to forget. For this reason, this unlucky day of the week has gotten a rather depressing reputation. It was raining out. It always rains on Mondays. Students trudged into the building, complaining as the bright, fluorescent lights blinded them. Dripping coats were stuffed in lockers, and heads were shaken to relieve them from the last drops of moisture still clinging to their hair. Ah, yes, it was a Monday…unfortunately, no one told Motoko.

"Good morning world!"

Students shot dirty looks as a happier than normal Motoko entered the school, jealous of her ability to remain optimistic on a Monday.

Motoko continued smiling as she made her way to her locker, not noticing the angry looks she was receiving. It had been a good weekend. After Yuki and Kyo had come back with the popcorn, they played a two-on-two game, and nothing could match the joy Motoko felt swell within her when Yuki announced 'Miss Minagawa, I'd be very happy if you'd be my partner'. Motoko sighed happily, recalling the moment. Then who could forget when, after the game, they all watched a scary movie, and Tohru practically jumped into Kyo's arms when the monster jumped out!

Motoko giggled. That must have embarrassed Kyo, because he was gone for awhile after that (probably in the bath room, she thought). Tohru seemed alright without him, though, seeing as the Prince's cat settled on her lap for pretty much the rest of the movie. "I didn't know Yuki had a cat…" Motoko contemplated aloud. "He doesn't strike me as the cat type. And what a funny orange color it was! I'll bet Kyo likes it, since his hair is the same color. Some how, he doesn't really seem like a pet person either, though…"

She trailed off as she saw the group of fan club members around her locker. They didn't look too happy. They looked beyond the typical "Monday Unhappy". They looked downright vicious.

Not letting the sudden appearance of the club spoil her good mood, Motoko continue toward her locker, a slight smile plastered on her face. "Good morning!" She called to them, as soon as they were within earshot. As she reached her locker, the fan club's frowns deepened. "So, what's happening with the meeting after school to-" Motoko's voice stopped abruptly as Rika stepped between her and her locker. "Ummm, excuse me, I need to-"

The sound of Rika's hand making contact with Motoko's cheek rang down the hallway, and students looked up, awoken from Monday's spell. Seeing the blonde's hand hovering just inches away from the brunette's face and the red mark now printed on her cheek, they hurried to their classes. When the Prince Yuki Fan Club was angry, you didn't want to be around to see it.

Motoko's hand went up to her face where Rika had slapped her, feeling her cheek with shock. After a few moments of stunned silence, she burst. "What was that for?" she asked, eyes watering more from the humiliation of it than the pain.

Mio stepped forward, large book in hand. "Article 23 Section 7 of the Prince Yuki Fan Club Manual states that any officer, no matter how high up the ranks, may be charged with treason if she breaks any of the club rules, especially the 'Golden Rule', being 'No one member may keep the Prince to herself or do things that benefit her instead of the good of the club'. Any one accused of this crime will be liable to receiving the 'Divine Punishment', if the majority votes so. All accusations must be proven before punishment can be given".

Rika crossed her arms, a slight smile showing from behind her frowning façade. "Do you know what that is, Prince Yuki Fan Club Member Motoko Minagawa? You should, seeing as you helped write it".

Confusion played on Motoko's face as she stared first at Mio, then Rika. Of course she knew, but what did this have to do with…?

"It's Code of Treason", Rika continued, not waiting for an answer. "Given to anyone who breaks any of our sacred rules".

"I don't understand, what does this have to do with me?" Motoko cried out. Yes, she knew she had broken the 'Golden Rule', she knew that the minute she had stepped in Yuki Sohma's house, but they couldn't possibly know! They couldn't!

Then, as if reading her thoughts, Rika replied "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. This mission of yours, the one you claim will break Tohru Honda and remove her from Yuki forever, is a lie. You aren't working against Tohru, you're working with her!"

Now over the initial shock, Motoko put on an air of authority, like her usual 'fan club president façade'. "I don't know what you are talking about. And what right do you accusing me, your superior, of such horrendous things? I should have you tried for insubordination! No, MUTINY!"

Rika smirked and approached the 'President'. Before Motoko had time to respond, her hand had slid under the collar of Motoko's school uniform and retreated and hovered in front of Motoko's face. Between her fingers rested a black device no bigger than a quarter. Motoko's face remained blank for a moment, and then contorted in realization. "A microphone…" her voice quivered, barely above a whisper. "How long has it been there?"

"Long enough", Rika replied, placing the item in her pocket.

"I don't understand, how…?"

"Minami slipped it on you when you weren't looking. Some president you are…even your vice president was willing to turn against you…"

Motoko looked questioningly at Minami, to realize the girl was avoiding her gaze. Her eyes watered. How did this happen? Minami had always been the only 'friend' Motoko had ever had…she had TRUSTED her!

"So you've befriended the Honda girl, and turned your back on the club by HOGGING Prince Yuki all to yourself. At least your little 'mishap' has shed some light on as to why the Prince hangs around Tohru…THEY'RE LIVING TOGETHER! THIS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!"

"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT! YOU CAN'T VERY WELL JUST SPREAD IT AROUND THE SCHOOL, IT WILL DESTROY YUKI!" Motoko shrieked.

Rika paused thoughtfully. "No…" she said slowly, "I suppose not…but we WILL destroy Honda no matter what it comes to…"

"What did she ever do to you? What has Tohru ever done to deserve this! HOW CAN YOU THIS!"

"Oh, as newly elected leader of the Prince Yuki Fan Club, I can do a lot of things"

"Leader…?"

"The club voted at last weeks meeting, which YOU missed because you were with Tohru. It was a unanimous decision" Rika smirked again. As the warning bell sounded for class, the smirk twitched. "We need to end this meeting soon…first period is about to start"

Mio stepped forward, book open. "Motoko Minagawa, you are charged with high treason, which is punishable by 'Divine Punishmen-"

"So", Rika cut in, turning to Motoko, "you should be given the 'Divine Punishment'. You know what that is, don't you?"

Motoko shivered. Oh, she knew what it was…as one of the founders of the club, she had a hand in creating it. The 'Divine Punishment' had only been used once in the two years the club had been around. Motoko had been there when they took the girl into custody, and been present for the execution of the punishment…and…

"However", Rika continued, "seeing as you are an officer, and your mistake did contribute to the club's ultimate goal, I will let you off easy with a punishment of my choosing…"

Face blank, but voice heavy, Motoko looked at her new superior officer. "What must I do?"

* * *

(Author's note) I had tons of fun writing this chapter...and it only gets more exciting from here on out!

**starmagicsunmoon**- Heh, thanks for the review!

**funniful**- I'm glad you liked it :D

**Sk8er7**- Writer's block is evil...good thing I didn't have problems writing this chapter ;)

**tbiris**- Who doesn't love a little scariness in their life? XP

**Aura Black Chan**- Reality has an uncanny habit of hitting me in the face a lot... XP

**Witnter's Light**- I'm not sure...he had, up until he heard her confession...now he's kinda of trying out this whole crush thing...

**hurleysuki**- YOU'RE WELCOME! XD

**Graq the Wild Child**- It annoys me when people demonize a character...it's like "Motoko's human too, people!"

**tomboy036**- Thanks for the review :D

**Red Kitsune Flames**- I love the episode with Motoko...it's one of my favs!

**Mew Kyo**- XD Thanks

**vbabe24**- I love Kyoru too, but since this story is ending in a few chapters, there won't be much opportunity for it :(


	16. Chaos

Alright, two "changes in obsessions" later, I've finally updated! And guess what...I LOVE KINGDOM HEARTS! (Ahem) okay, I just had to get that out of my system...that would explain my change in name (finally! I've had Yuki-Year of the Rat fovever!) Well, this chapter was fun to write... -Roxas

**Chaos**

"Hey, has anyone seen Motoko?" Tohru's face, which was usually bright and sunny, momentarily matched the weather. Although she was usually in a good mood, the absence of her friend worried her, especially since she could have sworn she had glimpsed the older girl before homeroom.

"Does anybody care?" Kyo asked, as he sat down with his tray across from Tohru.

Yuki frowned at his relative. Sure, Kyo was a jerk, but he rarely spoke harshly to Miss Honda. "Must be the rain…" he muttered to himself.

"What was that, you darn rat?"

"Now that you mention it…Miss Minagawa is usually one of the first people to reach the lunch table…I wonder why she isn't here yet?" the silver haired teen replied to Tohru, ignoring a seething Kyo.

"Here she comes…" Hatsuharu said, fork dangling between his fingers, in a show of boredom.

"Motoko!" Tohru leaped out of her seat and ran to greet her friend.

Saki stopped eating, chopsticks halfway to her mouth. "Something isn't right…her waves are…"

Upon reaching Motoko, Tohru started to embrace the older girl. All of a sudden, Motoko's hand came up and grabbed Tohru's wrist, stopping the embrace in progress.

"Motoko…" Tohru started, "…I was worried you weren't coming to lunch, but I'm so happy to see you came…"

"Stop…"

"…I didn't know if maybe you were sick today…"

"Shut up…"

"…But here you are! I'm so glad you are alri-"

"I SAID, SHUT UP!"

The noise of the lunch room fell into a soft murmur, as students turned there heads to see where the shout had come from. The Sohma boys, as well as Saki and Arisa, all stopped eating in shock. Before his fork had even hit the plate, Kyo was halfway across the lunchroom, heading towards the girls.

"Motoko…" Tohru stared wide-eyed up at the girl.

"CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING! I'M NOT REALLY YOUR FRIEND! I NEVER CARED ABOUT YOU, OR HOW YOU WERE FEELING…I'VE BEEN LYING THIS WHOLE TIME! I ONLY BECAME FRIENDS WITH YOU TO GET CLOSER TO THE PRINCE!"

A gasp escaped Tohru's mouth. "No…" she moaned, her eyes watering. "You…you're my friend…"

"No…I'm not…" The hatred that resonated from her voice did not reach Motoko's eyes. In fact, they matched the sadness in Tohru's. "I'm sorry, Tohru…" she whispered.

In that second, Kyo reached the two. Ripping Tohru's wrist from Motoko's grip, he shook the ex-Yuki Fan Club President. "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING? DON'T YOU EVER COME NEAR TOHRU EVER AGAIN!"

Managing to keep a stubborn look of hatred on her face, Motoko pulled from Kyo's grasp. However, her eyes continued to betray her, as tears unshed until now started to slide down her face. She wavered for a moment, and then took off running out of the lunchroom.

"Motoko!" Tohru cried out, and started after the other girl. Kyo, taking a moment to realize what was happening, hesitated before following Tohru.

"THAT WITCH!" Arisa jumped out of her seat. "JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON MOTOKO!"

Yuki sat in shock of what had just happened. No…Motoko…

Saki watched in silence as Yuki slowly got out of his seat, and made his way across the lunchroom in a daze.

"WELL, AREN'T YOU GOING TO HELP ME!" Arisa turned on her gothic friend.

Ignoring her, she put her chopsticks down, and shook her head in the direction of the Prince. "No good will come out of this…despite your intentions…Sohma…"

Motoko, confident she had finally lost Tohru in the maze of hallways, returned to the Prince Yuki Fan Club room, where Rika and the others were waiting for her.

"By your tear stained face and trembling hands, I assume that means you followed orders?" Rika sneered. "Very well". Turning to Mio, who had a notebook and pen in hand, she continued. "Let it be known that Motoko is hereby extinguished of her sins, and has carried out her punishment as planned. However, if her same mistake is repeated twice, she WILL be given the Divine Punishment. Also, as a final punishment, she has been stripped of her title, and is a level one member once again".

Yuki made his way down the hallways in a fast walk. He had not been able to find Tohru or Kyo, but he had an idea where he could find Motoko.

Mio scribbled furiously to keep up with the Prince Yuki Fan Club president. As Rika finished, she closed her notebook.

Rika smirked, and placed a "reassuring" hand on Motoko's shoulder. "You're lucky…I was feeling gracious, so I let you keep your club membership. It's alright, maybe if you work hard enough, you can get up to second in command before the end of the school year…"

"I don't want to…"

"You…don't want to?"

"I don't want to stay in this club!"

The Prince Yuki Fan Club members gasped. Not want to be in the club! Everyone wants to be in the club! This was impossible!

"Nonsense!" Rika barked. "Of course you want to stay in the club!"

"NO! Don't you guys get it?" Motoko looked around at her former comrades. "This 'club' is an evil cult! Our only purpose is to stalk a guy who doesn't even remotely like us! We may THINK we are doing everything in the Prince's best interest, but really we are just making things harder for him!"

"Blasphemy!" Mio cried.

"I will hear no more of this!" Rika screeched.

Despite the shouts of the others, Motoko continued. "We do nothing but make other people's lives miserable. Do you realize how many girls you've had to step on to get where you are now? Tohru Honda was innocent! How dare you take that innocence away from her by showing her how truly cruel the world can be! You call her a witch…TOHRU HONDA IS NOT A WITCH! SHE IS PROBABLY THE FARTHEST THING FROM IT! YOU ARE THE WITCHES!"

As the last words left Motoko's mouth, a sudden silence filled the room. Shock lay on the faces of all the girls, and a little bit of hatred danced on Rika's.

Motoko looked every member in the eye, and then whispered, "…and any club like that I don't want to be a part of…"

Shoulders firm, and head held high (despite the outer appearance, Motoko trembled on the inside), the former Prince Yuki Fan Club president left the room. Two steps, and she heard the door slam shut behind her and a small click. Rika was locking her out…she was out of the club forever. Her whole high school career had revolved around the club, all those hours spent trying to make the club the best it could be, all down the drain. Within one afternoon Motoko had lost everything that mattered to her, her best friend, her club, and…

"Miss Minagawa?"

Motoko looked up with a start. Yuki! How long had he been there? "I…I…"

"Miss Minagawa, you really left the club?"

Brushing her hair behind her ear, but keeping her head down, Motoko responded with a "…yes…"

There was a pause, and then Yuki continued. "When you ran from the lunchroom…"

"I'm sorry…" Motoko's lip quivered, and tears she had managed to hold back moments before burst forth.

"You're crying…Miss Minagawa" He sounded surprised.

"Please, no more. I can't be friends with Tohru anymore. I ruined her life, as well as everyone around her. You should hate me for it"

"I…don't hate you Miss Minagawa. I could never hate you…"

Suddenly Motoko felt a hand on her cheek. She stared in shock as the silver haired teen wiped away her tears. For the first time, she allowed herself to meet Yuki's gaze, her dark eyes meeting his violet ones. They say the eyes are the windows to a person's soul. As Motoko stared into Yuki's, she saw a light…a warmth, she had never truly seen before. She couldn't believe it. The prince of her dreams…the boy she had always loved…Yuki Sohma, was there, wiping away her tears, and comforting her. For the first time today, the future was looking a little brighter. Overcome with emotion, she cried. "Oh Yuki!" she burst, and threw herself into his arms.

For a moment, her body met his, she breathed in his warmth, and was in heaven. Then, all of a sudden, he wasn't there. Motoko landed flat on her face, amid a pile of clothes. Motoko lay there in shock for a second, before allowing herself to sit up. She coughed and tried to look through the sudden smoke that had filled her line of vision. "Yuki…?" Her voice shook. "Wha…" Her hand brushed against something furry and the object let out a surprised squeak. Motoko froze. Sitting next to her, amid the pile of clothes that had a second ago been her prince, was a small, gray mouse.

* * *

(Author's Note) Okay, considering I have'nt quite thought out Motoko's reaction yet, the next chapter may take awhile...I'm sorry! I've just been spending so long playing KHII lately...

**Red Kitsune Flames**- I hope that was suspenseful enough for you :)

**Sk8er7**- Yay, thanks for the review :D

**dianna**- Life's pretty sad at times...I really hate high school, so I sympathize with Motoko!

**Aura Black Chan**-You brought up a good point...she should have plenty of dirt on the other girls...however, none of them strike me as the kind of people that would ever reveal their true selves to anyone except their families. So even though Motoko's been hanging out with them, she probably doesn't know how they REALLY act...

**vbabe24**- Sorry I didn't update sooner... :(

**CrazyInsaneAnimeFanGirl**- You're psycic! (Is that how you spell it? I wouldn't know...)

**hurleysuki**- (Sweatdrops at image of hurleysuki in knight's armor) Heh, I think it's a little late for that now... XP XD

**Inuyasha4ever9391**- Thanks :) I try to make the story interesting, but I really can't tell if it is until I hear from the readers :D

**Infinant-heart**- Rika Aida is most definetly evil...

**Anonymous**- Yay, thank you! My hope with this story was to show more people how the YukixMotoko pairing is possibly a good thing :)

**Mew Mew Orange**- Ahh, Divine Punishment...I had a feeling someone would ask...I didn't actually describe it because I wanted to leave the interpretation of it up to the reader...pretty much let you picture something super evil only a highschool girl could come up with...personally, I always pictured some sort of torture chamber miles beneath the school... XD Ha, like that's even possible!


	17. Revelation

Oh gosh...don't kill me...I know I haven't updated in five months...ducks as audience throws sharp objects I know I deserve this...the story has been going for more than a year now, and I have yet to end it. From now on, I will be spending ALL my time finishing this story up -Roxas

**Revelation**

"Y…y…yu…yuki?" Motoko's voice shook as her whole body trembled. "W-where did you go…?" The fuzzy creature before her was stalk still, and peering up intently at her face. Reluctantly, Motoko met its gaze, and saw…

…the same purple warmth she had gotten from the Prince not moments before. Okay, so there was also an immense amount of fear in its eyes, but no doubt it was the same. Slowly, Motoko's trembling hand scooped up the little rodent, and lifted him closer. "Yuki…" she murmured, more to herself than to the rat.

"Miss Minagawa…"

Motoko jumped, and then, realizing it was the mouse…no, Yuki…speaking, she bowed her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No, Miss Minagawa, I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you…I thought…" Yuki, ashamed at his appearance, turned away from Motoko.

Motoko gazed sadly at the little mouse. If the club ever got wind of this…well, let's just say they'd probably all commit suicide. That, or they'd all sew little mouse plushies for themselves. Motoko giggled silently at the thought. That wasn't such a bad idea…he was quite adorable in mouse form…

"It's a curse…"

Motoko stopped her internal giggling abruptly, as Yuki's voice cut into her thoughts.

Yuki took a breath before continuing. "I'm not exactly sure why, but as long as I can remember, the Sohma family has carried the curse of the Zodiac. Whenever we're hugged by members of the opposite sex, we transform into one of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac"

"So…does Kyo carry this curse too?"

"Well…not exactly…he transforms into the fabled 'cat' from the story…"

"The…cat…?" There was a…ah, that's right. The cat. The one not truly part of the zodiac. The loner. "It fits, somehow…" Motoko pondered aloud. "And Shigure?"

"The dog", Yuki replied, still staring up at her anxiously.

That fit too. The way he had always been bouncing around when Motoko came to visit, and his constant trying to call attention to himself…there's nothing else Shigure COULD be but a dog. "Haru? Momiji?"

"Haru is the cow, well bull, rather, and Momiji is the rabbit".

As Motoko sat, thinking over everything she was just learning about people she had spent the last few months getting to know, Yuki fidgeted nervously in her palm. "I…", he started. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this, Miss Minagawa. You must think I'm strange. I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you did, but I…"

Startled, the girl stared at the love of her life. Was he nervous? Nervous she wouldn't accept him? She was surprised herself that she seemed to accept him. After all, Motoko had never been particularly fond of small mammals, especially rodents. But he was different. He was her prince. He had accepted her; hideous, wicked, conniving girl that she was, and it was her turn to return the favor.

"Yuki", she cut him off. "I don't think you're strange. I mean, I was a little surprised…well, I was VERY surprised to find out you are a rat. But, I love you, I mean, how could I not? I was president of the Prince Yuki Fan Club! I love you, Yuki Sohma, human or not".

Surprised at her own confession (she hadn't planned on confessing her love anytime soon, because she didn't want to come off as too strong…GOSH, WHAT DID HE THINK OF HER NOW?!), Motoko's face went scarlet. But her smile remained.

Yuki stared up into the bright smile of hers, and for only the second time in his life, felt accepted (the first had been during a similar episode with Tohru). Blushing profusely, Yuki rested his little paws on Motoko's wrist. "Miss Minagawa…I…"

Of course, it was that moment that his body chose to change back. Motoko was sitting there, looking into Yuki's purple eyes as he spoke, when, a puff of smoke burst forth, and suddenly Motoko WASN'T looking at his eyes. Gasping in shock, Motoko quickly wheeled around, turning an even brighter shade of red.

Looking around, Yuki quickly slipped into his clothes. Thank goodness everyone was in lunch right now…that could have been pretty awkward… "Sorry Miss Minagawa", he said, blushing slightly. "The amount of time we stay in animal form is random, and I don't have any warning before I change back".

"It's alright…" Motoko replied, shaking. Many people had probably had dreams that something like this would happen to them…but Motoko had never imagined she would be in this situation. "Wow…I'll bet Rika would give anything to be me right now. She probably wouldn't have turned around too. That little…"

"Did you say something, Miss Minagawa?"

"Nothing, nothing!!" Motoko said, sweat dropping. "Are you dressed?"

"Yeah". Yuki slid his hand through his silvery hair, embarrassed. "I don't suppose we have enough time to go back to lunch…"

Motoko glanced at the clock on the wall. "I suppose not…"

Yuki paused, and then turned to Motoko. "Do you mind if I walk you to class?"

She grinned up at him. "I'd like that". As the two walked along together, Motoko suddenly felt a hand slide into hers. Startled, she looked at the silver haired boy next to her. Staring down at his feet, the rat was blushing. Squeezing his hand slightly, Motoko beamed inwardly. Earlier today Motoko had felt like the world was crashing down on her. She had felt like her life was ruined. But now, she could only see possibilities in the future. She had finally found her happily ever after.

Not far away, someone observed the two teens. It had only been happenstance that this person stumbled on Yuki and Motoko when they did, but they had seen enough. Enough to know that something must be done.

Pulling out a cell phone, said being dialed. It was a number that most did not call, but one that the person had had to dial on a regular basis. Two rings was all it took. On the third one, there was a click, a pause, and then a "Hello? May I ask who is speaking?"

"You know who…who else uses this number…"

"Haha, well, I never expected YOU to be calling me at this time, -"

The first person cut off the second abruptly. "Listen to me: we've got a problem".

* * *

(Author's Note) Ehehehe...cliffhanger...like I've said before, this may not end pretty...

**Red Kitsune Flames**- Yeah...sorry I took so long to update ; Thanks for the comments!

**Painted Angel Wings**- I'm glad you liked it so much XD

**hurleysuki**- You predicted right! But then, what would this story be if I just ended it with "Motoko saw the rat Yuki, screamed, and ran away" XD

**Aura Black Chan**- Hmmm...we might find out soon...

**cutee2054**- Thanks for the comments!! Yeah, Haru is really suave nosebleed I love him so much X3

**Sk8er7**- Sorry for the late update. Thanks for the comment though :D

**Inuyasha4ever9391**- KINGDOM HEARTS RULES!!!! XD Heh, sorry, had to get that out of my system X3 Who's your fav character?

**x-prncssanime-x**- Thanks :3

**super manako sohma**- I know how she feels to. Ah, I hope you get to see him:(

Thank you so much to everyone reading this story. And a special thanks to people who comment. Comments are what help motivate me to write more! XD


	18. Turn Of Events

AHAHA!!!!!! I UPDATED WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF THE PREVIOUS UPDATE!!! BET YOU WEREN'T EXPECTING THAT!!! XD Okay, calm down Roxie...(clears throat) Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Only a few chapters to go!! -Roxas

**Turn Of Events**

The next few days went by in a flash. Yuki had insisted that Motoko be Tohru's friend again, despite Motoko's protest that the girl would never take her back. After much discussion, Yuki was finally happy to see Motoko make her way towards Tohru's locker and apologize, and even happier when he watched Miss Honda glomp the unsuspecting Miss Minagawa and accept her apology. Kyo was still sour towards Motoko, but seemed to calm down a bit after Tohru had made amends with her. Arisa reacted much the same as Kyo, and Saki didn't say anything, but Momiji and Hatsuharu acted as if none of it had ever happened. The group spent lunches and afternoons together, joking and enjoying each other's company. After all the major testing was done in school, things started to return to normal.

The afternoon of the incident, Yuki was greeted by Shigure at the door of his cousin's house. "Yuki, Hari told me you missed your check up".

"I…?" Yuki racked his brain. That was right! He had scheduled his check up with Hatori during lunch. However, after all the excitement of the day, Yuki had totally forgotten.

"I've rescheduled your appointment", Shigure continued, "and Hatori can come in at the end of the week". A trace of a smile played on his lips, and, for a second, Yuki thought he was going to add more, but then the dog walked away.

The incident was soon forgotten as the rest of the week passed. It wasn't long before Friday arrived.

"Hey Yuki!" Motoko called as she caught up to him in the hallway. "Tohru was wondering if we all wanted to sit outside for lunch today, but Kyo is against the idea because he thinks it might rain. What do you think?"

"Actually, I have a doctor's appointment today", Yuki replied, closing his locker.

"But today's the cultural festival!"

"I'm probably going to have to miss the whole thing…Shigure wants me to get home early today so I can help clean the house. Not like we know anything about cleaning anyway…" Yuki muttered the last sentence to himself before turning to face Motoko. The look of disappointment on her face stabbed Yuki in the heart. "I'm sorry, Miss Minagawa, but I have to go. Besides, I'll be seeing you this weekend, right? Miss Honda invited you to stay over again".

"Motoko brightened instantly. "Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that!" Looking at the clock, she grabbed her bag. "Well, I guess I'll let you go then. See you later!" She started to turn away, and then stopped. Pausing, as if unsure, she kissed Yuki on the cheek, and then took off running.

The rat stood stunned, trying to contemplate what had just happened. Bringing his hand up to his face, Yuki touched the spot where Motoko had kissed him. Heart racing, the silver-haired teen stood there for a few embarrassing moments. "I gotta calm down before I stress myself out, otherwise I…" _POOF!_ The teen disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and a small, gray rat now stood amidst the pile of clothes he had been wearing. Sitting stunned, the mouse looked around and started laughing. "I'd better get ready to see Hatori", he said to himself, dragging his clothes over to the bathroom as he continued to laugh embarrassingly.

Despite Kyo's protests, the group decided to eat outside. With it being the day of the cultural festival, people were busy setting up booths in the lunch room, while other students crowded around vendors selling every sort of food ever made, and finding room to eat in the lunch room would have been next to impossible.

"Ah, these are the school days I love", Arisa said, stretched out in the grass with her hands behind her head. "Ones that involve no thinking whatsoever".

"Why do they even bother make us come to school if we don't even do anything?!" Kyo complained. "It's not like we get anything important out of it". The carrot top chomped down on a rice ball angrily.

"But it's such a beautiful day!" Tohru said, staring up at the sky.

"It is, isn't it?" Motoko smiled. She had gotten all of her favorite foods: ramen, rice balls, sushi, and a soda, and was taking her time enjoying every bite.

"I don't know…I sense something…disturbing…"

Arisa turned to Saki. "You always sense disturbing things. Sometimes I think that it's really just Kyo's pervertedness you are picking up on your radar".

"WHAT WAS THAT, YANKEE?!"

Flicking rice at the red head, Arisa turned to Motoko. "Hey, where's that Prince of your? He's going to miss out on lunch".

"He's got a doctor's appointment". Motoko twirled a piece of ramen with her chopsticks. At the mention of her silver-haired friend, Motoko had started blushing. She had always been a bold person, and never had any problem saying or doing what was on her mind. When it came to Yuki though, she always became as shy as a lamb. So, to suddenly kiss Yuki like that…Motoko's heart fluttered. It had been exhilarating though. A smile crept on to her lips, one which she could not stifle, no matter how hard she tried.

"Why are you smiling, Motoko?" Momiji asked. "Did something good happen today?"

Sipping her soda, the girl looked up, still smiling. "You could say that".

"Nothing seems to be the problem. I'd say you are as healthy as you've ever been". Hatori took the stethoscope from his ears. "I would recommend vitamins, though, if you are worried about the coming winter. Nothing works better against a cold wind than extra nutrients".

"I'll think about it", Yuki said, slipping his shirt on. The rat wouldn't have minded the supplements, but he doubted Shigure had any vitamins at the house, and was too lazy to go out and buy some.

"Well, my job is done here. You are free to go". Hatori packed up his bag and grabbed his coat.

Yuki looked at the clock and frowned. Despite the seemingly quick check up, the cultural festival had ended half an hour ago. Although he had told Motoko he wouldn't be able to make it to the event, he had hoped…

Yuki walked with his relative out to the parking lot. As they reached the doctor's car, Hatori turned around. "I'd offer to drive you home, but I have something Akito asked me to do. I'll call you later to set the date for your next appointment".

The teen watched as he drove away before he began his long walk to Shigure's house.

Motoko waved good bye to Arisa and Saki as they turned one way, and Tohru and Kyo as they turned another. Haru and Momiji had opted to stay after and help clean up, so Motoko was completely alone. Humming to herself, the third year student started heading towards her house. Today had been a good day, and this weekend was going to be awesome.

"I wonder if Tohru wants me to bring anything. Maybe I should bring some snacks over…" Motoko contemplated aloud. "I wonder if Kyo has made a move on Tohru yet. It's totally obvious he wants to. Ah, they would make such a cute couple!! Maybe I should bring over a horror movie, and then, when it gets really scary, she might hug him for comfort. Oh, but I suppose that would make him transform, wouldn't it? That's too bad. Maybe I could use something like a game of truth or dare to get them to kiss…"

Once again silence consumed the road, and Motoko listened to the rustle of the wind and…the sound of a car in neutral? "That's odd", Motoko said to herself, turning to see a black car stopped in the road behind her. All of a sudden, someone grabbed her from behind. Struggling, she tried to break free from the grip, but whoever was holding her was strong. Before she could yell for help, the attacker pressed a moist cloth against her face, and Motoko inhaled a strong, drugged aroma. She barely had time to realize what was happening before she blacked out.

* * *

(Author's Note) I apologize if this is short...it looked a LOT longer in my notebook! TT Oh, one thing I'd like to make note of is that I know Hatori wouldn't normally travel to Yuki's school for his checkups, but when Yuki missed his first one, he went to the school to look for him, and figured he might as well do the next one AT the school so Yuki wouldn't forget again If that made any sense XD

**Shizmoo**- Thanks for the review XD I'm glad you are really into this story :)

**Aura Black Chan**- I totally agree X3

**Fire.Rose.Black.**- Het? You mean like heterosexual? XD Yeah...I'm the opposite...not a huge fan of homosexual pairings...

**Red Kitsune Flames**- You didn't have to wait long on the cliffy!! X3 However, I ended with ANOTHER cliffhand XD XD (is shot)

**Sk8er7**- Yay, I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the nice comment :3

I'll try to stay on a roll with these updates...see you later!


	19. Pieces Falling Into Place

Okay, so I was a little over a week late...but this is still A LOT better than I've done in the past when it comes to updating! XD -Roxie

**Pieces Falling Into Place**

"Welcome home, Yuki!"

The silver haired teen smiled at the girl in the doorway. The walk home had taken an hour, and the wind had started to pick up partway through it, so to be greeted by a warm house and a warm smile…Yuki couldn't help but smile.

"It's good to be home", he replied, stepping into Shigure's house and removing his coat.

"How did your check up with Hatori go?" Tohru asked, bobbing along next to him.

"It went well…Hatori mentioned possibly taking vitamins, but I don't think he really meant anything by it…"

"I'm glad".

Yuki smiled again, and followed Tohru into the kitchen. Kyo was busy digging through the fridge for a snack, while Shigure talked amiably on the phone. "Well then, that's certainly a good sign", he was saying, twirling the phone cord around his finger. "Let's hope he's feeling generous, otherwise things could get interesting…Call me when you're done!" Hanging up the phone, the dog looked pleased with himself. A little…too pleased…

"What was that about?" Yuki asked, setting his bag on the table.

"Ah, nothing. Just something Hari promised he'd keep me up to date on…"

Kyo's mouth twisted into a scowl. Apparently he like the dog's tone as much as Yuki did.

"You're up to something…" the rat replied.

"Hmmm", Shigure smiled. The cat's scowl deepened. Ignoring the look, Shigure left the room, humming to himself.

"Something's going on…" Kyo muttered, closing the fridge door.

"Did you figure that out on your own, stupid cat?"

"SHUT UP!!"

Yuki sat down at the table, his mind wandering. Shigure was acting strange…stranger than usual. He had acted the same way when Akito had made an unexpected visit to their school, or when he sprung the surprise trip to the lake hous on them. Whatever was going on, it couldn't be good.

Yuki glanced at the table top. A newspaper lay sprawled out next to his bag, pages in disarray. Beneath the mess were other things that dog had decided not to clean up: a Kleenex box, a few pens, and what looked like the beginning of Shigure's newest dirty romance novel. Yuki turned the book upside down in disgust, not wanting to look at the cover. Sticking out from underneath the book, the rat spotted a slip of paper. Pulling it out, Yuki looked it over.

Appointment for Yuki

September 23rd, 12:30

Don't forget to remind him!

Yeah, that had worked out well. Yuki rolled his eyes. September 23rd…that had been the beginning of the week. The day Motoko had found out he was a rat…

_"Yuki, Hari told me you missed your checkup…"_

Yuki stopped, eyes widening.

_A small smile played on his lips…_

"Yuki?" Tohru asked, "Is something wrong?"

_"Just something Hari promised he'd keep me up to date on…"_

"Shigure!" Yuki yelled, jumping from his seat. Dashing out of the room, the silver haired teen had not gone two steps before he ran into his cousin Before the dog could open his mouth to speak, Yuki had already started. "It's her, isn't it? What did you do to her?"

"I don't know what you're…"

"Miss Minagawa! Hatori saw, didn't he? He knows she saw me transform!"

The look on Shigure's face confirmed his fears. Backing away from his cousin, Yuki shook his head. "No…no…"

"Yuki, you know we aren't allowed to have people find out about the curse. We were lucky that Akito let Tohru stay with us…"

At the sound of yelling, Kyo and Tohru had emerged from the kitchen. The cat usually enjoyed seeing Yuki distraught, but something in the atmosphere unnerved him…the way the rat was backing up…the look of horror on his face…

"Hey, what's going on-"

Two things happened at that moment; Yuki turned around and ran for the door, and Shigure, trying to catch Yuki's arm, slipped, and landed on his stomach.

"Wait!" Shigure cried out. "Yuki, if you get in Akito's way…"

"He can't hear you", Kyo replied, staring ou the front door into the emptiness. "He's gone".

Motoko was drifting…floating in a sea of darkness. It was silent, it was comfortable, it was…warm. In the distant was the sound of thudding…the slam of a door…some scattered voices…and then…silence…

Motoko shifted in her sleep, and her head hit something sharp. Recoiling, she was surprised to feel the sensation on both sides of her head now. Slowly, it spread through her whole head, as Motoko came around. _Ugh, what happened?_ Attempting to bring her hand to her head, she found herself too weary to move. The knock out gas had given her a massive headache, Motoko winced at the throbbing. Slowly her eyes began to focus. She was lying on the floor, in a room that was as dark as her dreams had been. A small light shone from beneath one of the walls. _A door?_ The sound of footsteps padded by, and stopped as they reached the door. Motoko held her breath. After a minute or so of suspense, the girl heard the person retreat. As she started to get up, her hand brushed a pile of cloth. That's when she realized she wasn't alone.

"Yuki!" Tohru called, staring off through the forst. "Yuki, where are you?"

Kyo watched her search desperately for his relative. This was taking too long. They had been out her for half an hour, and the sky was darkening. The forecast had predicted rain tonight, and the storm had almost arrived. Kyo shivered as the wind picked up. Why Yuki would want to be out here at a time like this was beyond him. After the rat had run, Shigure refused to tell them what was going on. Hearing Shigure yell Akito's name after him meant that it had to be bad, though.

Stuffing his hand in his pocket, the cat started wandering to the right. If this had to do with Akito, odds were Yuki had started towards the main house…or away from it…Suddenly, the sound of coughing reached Kyo's ears. Pushing through the foliage, the cat came upon a clearing. And, in the middle of the clearing…

"Hey", Kyo called. "He's over here".

Tohru turned, and ran towards the sound of his voice. Coming upon the rat, she gasped. He was hunched over on the ground, breathing heavily. The weather must have gotten to him…

Kyo growled in frustration. When he found his relative, he had planned on ragging him out for making him and Tohru waste half an hour looking for him…maybe throw a few punches in there… "Just my luck that we find him keeled over, hacking up a lunch", Kyo muttered to himself.

Tohru ran to Yuki, helping him off the ground. "Yuki, are you alright? Your bronchial tubes!"

"I'm…fine…" he gasped, gripping her shoulder for support. He tried to speak again, but instead burst into a fits of coughs. Regaining his computer again, as remote as it was, Yuki started to stagger forward, only to collapse in another coughing fit.

"What are you thinking?!" Kyo yelled, running to catch the rat. "You can't keep going…there's no way you'll make it to the main house!! Are you stupid?!"

Yuki could only gasp in reply. Tohru tried to hold him, but thought better about it, when she realized he'd probably transform. "Yuki…we need to get you back to Shigure's", Tohru begged. "It's going to start raining soon".

Quivering with a sudden chill, Yuki took another step forward. "I…I can't…"

Turning, Tohru looked up at Kyo, pleadingly. "Kyo, could you give Yuki your jacket? He's shivering really badly".

Sighing in annoyance, Kyo removed his protection from the wind and surrendered it to his enemy. "He wouldn't be cold if he hadn't run out here in the first place", the cat complained. "What's at the main house that's so important, anyway?"

Regaining his breath, Yuki stood up, and looked Kyo straight in the eye. "They've got Motoko".

* * *

(Author's Note) One major think I want to make note of...some of you may be a little upset over my potrayal of Shigure's role in this. Believe it or not, in the manga, he IS this coniving...and get's worse in chapters to come. Just wanted to let you know, so you don't think I went OOC or anything ;

**Fire.Rose.Black.**- I hope you got my note. Like I said in it, I don't have a problem with gays/bi-s/lesbians, I just won't be writing any of those pairings into my story :) I hope you continue to follow this story :D

**Red Kitsune Flames**- I don't think this update was too late, was it? XD

**Aura Black Chan**- I think we are all hoping that ; We'll just have to find out!

**Painted Angel Wings**- (waves arms frantically) Let's not do anything drastic! If you kill off one of my characters, the fanfic union will kill me!! Just put the gun down!! XD Jk, I'm weird...

**Mew Mew Orange**- Holy Haru? XD I love it! I want to use that phrase from now on! XD Thanks for the review :)

**Kari of Suna**- Thanks, I'm glad you like it :3


	20. A Slight Of Hand

This chapter was completely written in my Anatomy class and in my Pre Calc class...thank God for boredom! XD -Roxie

**A Slight Of Hand**

Motoko gasped, and recoiled. At the touch of her hand, the pile of cloth had begun to move.

"So", said the stranger, stepping forward. "You're awake". The malice that dripped from his voice chilled Motoko to the bone.

"W…who are you?"

Still sore from the knock out gas, Motoko was unable to look up enough to see his face, but she imagined him smiling down at her. "I am Akito Sohma, head of the Sohma family. And you are Motoko Minagawa, are you not?"

The high school girl nodded slowly. "I am, but how…?"

"I know things. I have…informants…"

Motoko kept her head down, staring at his feet. The man was clad in a long, white robe, and draped in a thicker, reddish one. From halfway down his legs to his toes were uncovered, and Motoko saw pale and pasty skin; skin that spoke of illness. It almost glowed in the dim light.

"Where am I?" she asked. The woven reed mat beneath her smelled old and musty, and the air in the room was dead still. Only from beneath the door did Motoko feel a slight breeze; a fresh breath of cool air in the otherwise stale place.

"…Sohma house…" came the dragged out reply, as if Akito had considered telling her or not before speaking.

As her head was clearing, the enormity of the situation came down on Motoko. "What's going on? Why am I here? Where's…"

Akito crouched down, and lifted Motoko's chin up so she was staring face to face with him. "You're pretty cute". He smirked at Motoko's blush.

Motoko stared at his face. Jet black hair hung down into his eyes and tumbled pas his ears. His already pale skin seemed even whiter compared to his hair, and his eyes were as black as his hair, and seemed to cut right into her soul. Squirming in discomfort, she turned away from his stare.

"Don't worry", Akito said, getting up. "I'm not going to hurt you. After all, it's not like you've done anything…"

His emphasis on the word done made Motoko look up. What was he getting at? She watched him make his way across the room, and then stop at the back wall. Flinging it open, Akito let light from the outside world shine in (as dreary as it was). _So there was another door after all…_

"Nothing indeed…" Pausing in the doorway, Akito stared out into the garden. "It's going to rain…" he said aloud, to no one in particular. As he help a hand out a small raindrop plopped into it, marking the first of many. Squeezing the droplet in his hand, Akito whipped around and glared at Motoko, as though it was her fault the sky was crying. Her look of bewilderment seemed to anger him more.

_Why am I here? What have I done to deserve this. I…_ And then it hit her. _I know the secret…I know their family secret…and, some how, he knows I know. Did Yuki tell him? No, he couldn't! It had to be Kyo then…since I know Tohru didn't do it, and Yuki and I didn't tell anyone else! What am I going to do?!_

"I…uh…I'm sorry", Motoko said, bowing her head. "It was an accident…"

"Accident? ACCIDENT?! YOU THINK I CARE IF IT WAS AN ACCIDENT?! NO ONE CAN KNOW ABOUT OUR FAMILY!! NO ONE!!" Pulling at a tapestry, Akito ripped it from the wall, tearing it in half.

Motoko watched in horror as the man destroyed the work of art. "I didn't mean to find out! I was trying to talk to Yuki, and…"

"YUKI HAS NO NEED FOR FRIENDS!! IF HE NEEDED A FRIEND, HE SHOULD HAVE COME TO ME!! ALL HE NEEDS IS ME!! ALL ANY OF THEM EVER NEED IS ME!!"

Motoko started shaking. This man was insane! Did he really think that just because he was head of the Sohma family, he could control their lives like that? And if he thought he could do that, who knows how much power he could exert…felt the need to exert…towards people who prevented him from doing his "job". At that thought, Motoko tried to get up and run towards the door.

Catching her wrist, Akito snarled. "Where do you think you're going?! Do you think I'm through with you?! DO YOU?!"

His nails dug into Motoko's arms, and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Despite his sickly appearance, this man was surprisingly strong. Motoko wilted in his grip as he threw her to the ground.

A sudden silence fell over the two of them. Motoko's arm was bleeding where Akito's nails had ripped into her flesh, but she refused to be the one to break the silence, even with sobs. Akito allowed his shoulders to relax, and slowly let his arms fall to his sides. Watching the girl, he considered her for a moment before speaking. "You will have your memory erased", he said softly, turning to leave the room. "After that, you will be free to go. I'll go get Hatori". Padding softly out of the room, Akito disappeared out of sight moments before his footsteps faded into the distance.

Motoko stared out into the garden, watching the rain pour down. _My memory…?_ She sat, confused. _He must be insane, dreaming up things like memory erasing…but…but the Sohma family is sort of a dream itself, being able to turn into animals. It shouldn't be possible. So maybe, he really can…_

The door opened and closed behind her, as someone entered the room. Turning her head, Motoko looked at the newcomer, nausea washing over her. "Are you Hatori?" she asked, her voice filled with dread.

The man shook his head, red strands of hair falling across his face. "Akito asked me to keep an eye on you", was his only reply.

"Who are you?" Motoko asked, but was not surprised when he didn't reply. _It doesn't matter anyway_, Motoko smiled sadly. _No matter who he is, his being here prevents me from making an escape. He'll just tackle me to the ground and drug me again._

Motoko sat, staring at the ground, when she heard the door open again. The red haired man got up and left, as Akito returned, followed by a much taller, healthier looking man. Motoko didn't need to ask to know this was Hatori. His jet black hair, stiff posture, even his golden gaze chilled her to the bone.

Bending down, Hatori sat in front of Motoko. "Don't worry", he said calmly to her. "You won't feel a thing".

Yuki's lungs were burning. Heck, they were on fire! But he knew if he stopped, even for a moment, he would collapse and never be able to get up again. Feeling the jacket start to slip, Yuki pulled it up higher, The piece of clothing reeked of the cat, but since he had shown a rare kindness by allowing him to wear it, Yuki didn't complain. To his left ran Kyo, and to his right Miss Honda. The rain whipped into their faces, stinging with ever drop. Kyo had shuddered and complained when the rain had first started falling, but after awhile he shut up. Turning his head slightly, he saw the carrot top panting as heavily as himself. _Rain makes him weaker, and we've been running for more than a mile. He won't be able to last much longer…_ Coughing into his hand, Yuki felt something rattle around in his lungs. _Then again, I don't think I can last much longer…_

"Look, it's Sohma house!" Tohru called, breathless but excited. "Only a few more a steps to go!"

Yuki smiled in spite of himself. They were almost there! As they headed through the main gate, Yuki broke off from the group.

"Hey!" Kyo yelled, exhaustion obvious in his voice. "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think? The only place they would bring her…Akito…"

Motoko sat in silence, terrified. Akito walked past her, a smirk playing on his lips. _He's enjoying this_, Motoko though, horrified. _How truly evil can you get?_ Motoko's heart skipped a beat as Hatori suddenly lifted his hand. Bringing it to her head, he wrapped it around her eyes, pressing gently on her temples.

"I…I…I never meant to…" Motoko whimpered, tears trailing down her face, wetting his hand.

"I know", he relied softly.

Motoko bit her lip and braced herself when there was sudden shout in the hallway. Pulling his hand back, Hatori looked towards the door, where a teenager with silver hair now stood.

"Yuki!" Motoko cried, getting up. As she tried to run to him, Akito grabbed her arm and twisted it. Sharp pain shot through her arm, and Motoko fell back to the ground, whimpering.

"Stop…it!" the rat yelled.

Motoko stared at her prince. He was gasping for breath, and soaked to the bone. Something was wrong with him…he was having problems breathing…

"I told you you'd kill yourself, stupid rat!"

Kyo appeared next to Yuki, scowling. He too was out of breath, but not in nearly as bad of a condition as his relative.

"Motoko!" Tohru called, running into the room.

"Some one grab that wretch!" Akito snarled. "I will not have her interfering with things!!"

Suddenly, the red haired man appeared in the room again, and within seconds he had Tohru's wrists in his hands, and holding her firmly.

"GET THE HECK AWAY FROM HER!!" Kyo roared, lunging forward.

"COME ANY CLOSER, AND THE HONDA GIRL WILL LOSE HER MEMORY TOO!!" Akito yelled.

Kyo stopped, his eyes widening. Yuki, finally regaining some breath, stood up.

"Akito…leave Miss Minagawa alone…she has nothing to do with this…"

"She has everything to do with this. I will not have another stranger INFILTRATING THIS FAMILY!!"

"But she's never done anything…neither of them have ever done anything against what you've said. Please, let them go!"

Akito glared at the rat, a look of pure loathing. "Kureno", he said grudgingly.

The red haired man let go of Tohru's wrists, and she ran back over to Kyo. But Akito's grip remained firmly on Motoko's arm.

"Akito", Yuki continued. "Please release Miss Minagawa".

The head of the family looked down at Motoko as if it was the first time he had ever seen her. Suddenly, his lips broke into a wicked grin. "I said I would allow Miss Honda to stay with you, but no one else was to know. And she…" Akito looked down at Motoko again. "…looks like someone else to me".

"WHY YOU-!" Kyo yelled. Kureno grabbed him as he tried to lunge at Akito. Yuki, however, slipped by. Coming at the head of the family, the rat swung his fist at Akito's head. Akito just barely dodged the hit, and a second later Yuki was being held by Hatori.

"DO IT NOW HATORI!!" Akito screamed.

Throwing the rat aside, Hatori's hand suddenly came up to Motoko's eyes.

"MOTOKO!!" Yuki cried out.

_Funny, _Motoko thought, as Hatori's grip over her face suddenly tightened. _This is the first time he's ever called me that_. Then a blinding white light cut through her mind, and then…silence…

* * *

(Author's Note) Just a few things I'd like to touch on:

People who haven't read the manga- Kureno is the rooster in the zodiac, and spends most if not all of his time at Akito's side. He's a year younger than Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame.

People who have read the manga- I am fully away Akito turns out to be a girl, however, since I'm reading the English version, and haven't reached that point yet, I potray Akito as a male.

**Red Kitsune Flames**- Rescue team indeed XD

**Aura Black Chan**- I'll get around to changing that eventually, I promise! ;

**chocolatecherries**- Thanks for the review :3

**Winter's Light**- Yeah, Fruits Basket's plot is pretty complicated, so, it's my job as a Fruba fanfic author to make it more complicated! XD

**me no understandee anime**- Thanks for the reviews XD

**Sk8er7**- I hadn't been on in awhile either, but I was following a Kingdom Hearts story, and all of a sudden I was like "Holy crap, I never finished any of my stories!!!" So, at the moment I'm trying to get them all done ;

There will be ONE chapter after this...and then I will be done with this fic! X3 Hope you all stick around for the end!


	21. The Future

IT'S HERE!!!! Oh my gosh, it's the grand finale!!! X3 I've waited so long for this day to come!! XD Believe it or not, this is the first story I've EVER finished in my life...so I'm a little excited :3 I hope you enjoy!! -Roxie

**The Future**

It had finally come; the pinnacle of teenage life, the final test of will, what it all leads up to: the final day of school. Students raced through the hallways, yelling and making noise, while teachers did their best to enforce the school rules. They yelled things like "You'll be held back another year!" and "Just wait till your parents hear about this!!", but all their threats were in vain. Both teachers and students knew that, after today, the senior class would never set foot inside the school again. Everyone was ecstatic.

Motoko was no exception. Her senior year had come and gone, and she was psyched to be done with school. The past year had been a weird one. Motoko had quit the one club she had poured so much of her time and money into….and she couldn't even remember why. _I guess I just got tired of their silly fan girl ways…_ she thought, as she passed a group of Prince Yuki Fan Club members clustered around a locker. Ever since leaving the club, Motoko had stopped hanging out with Minami, Mio and Mai. She missed the late night slumber parties and the hours of gossip on the phone, but, as the year progressed, Motoko found herself spending so much time in her studies; she wouldn't have had time for them anyway.

Passing another group of students in the hall, Motoko recognized them to be Tohru Honda and her group of friends. She could have sworn that Tohru was glancing at her, but why Motoko couldn't figure out.

It was weird…Not long after leaving the Prince Yuki Fan Club, Saki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani used to come up to Motoko and talk to her occasionally. She didn't mind, in fact, she welcomed the company. However, as time progressed, their visits became less frequent and soon stopped all together. _I shouldn't be surprised…it was random of them to talk to me in the first place…_ One thing Motoko never fully understood, though, was why Tohru never joined them. _Those three are inseperable…it seems odd that she wouldn't follow them…_ In fact, it had almost seemed like the Honda girl was avoiding her. A few times she caught Tohru staring at her, but as soon as she realized she had been spotted, she would go red in the face, and start freaking out, trying to turn her gaze anywhere but back at Motoko.

Motoko laughed at the memory. Turning the corner, she spotted her locker. She fiddled with the lock a little before it finally unlocked. As the door opened up, a little piece of paper tumbled out, resting next to her feet. "What's this?" she bent down and grabbed it, pocketing the note. _I'll look at it later…_ Once she had her backpack stored away, she proceeded towards her classroom. As she rounded a corner, she almost walked right into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Motoko grinned as she recognized the girl. "Hey Mio! Long time, no see!"

The fan club girl just sniffed and turned her nose up, walking away.

Motoko stood for a moment before she burst out laughing. Any other day something like that may have bothered her, but not today. Today was a good day.

Arriving at her classroom, Motoko chatted with a few of her classmates before sitting down at her desk. Curiosity had started to get to her, and she pulled out the note and looked it over.

_Motoko,_

_Everything that happened was my fault. I should have been able to stop him…I should have been able to save you. But, I couldn't…and now…_

_I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to give up…not yet… If you remember anything…anything at all…please meet me behind the school at the end of the day. I still have hope that maybe, just maybe, you remember a little…(I left a hint in your desk)_

The note wasn't signed, and the handwriting unfamiliar. Motoko contemplated it a moment before turning to her desk. Lifting the top, she looked in, and spotted a little stuffed mouse holding a tiny heart, a bow wrapped around its neck.

"Oh Motoko, that's so cute!!" one of her classmates said, coming up behind her. "Who gave it to you?"

"I-I'm not sure…" Motoko replied, bewildered.

"You must have a secret admirer!" another girl exclaimed, joining the two.

"I-I guess so…"

"Oh, that's so cool! I wish I had a secret admirer!!" The first girl squealed.

"Yeah, like anyone would ever fall in love with you". The second girl grinned.

"Like you're one to talk!!"

Motoko sat staring at the mouse, completely oblivious to the chick fight that had just broken out next to her. Who could have given it to her? How was a mouse a hint? And what did they mean 'If you remember anything…'? _Remember? Remember what?! What have I 'forgotten'?! Maybe it's written in code…maybe I'm supposed to decipher it or something…Or maybe he's just trying to be poetic…_ Motoko slowly took the stuffed animal out and set it on top of her desk. The cute plushie smiled up at her.

As the school day progressed, Motoko kept glancing at the mouse, not sure whether she wanted to go meet this secret admirer or not. _Sure, he sounds interesting enough, and hey, I haven't had a boyfriend in years…but he said to come only if I remember something…something I have no idea about…so…_ Motoko poked the mouse with her pen and smiled. It was cute though. _Maybe I will go…_

The end of the day rolled around, and the students were excited. Heck, they were down right psyched! As the bell sounded, teens all around the school jumped from there seats, whopping and hollering. The seniors were the first ones out the door, their high school careers over and their futures waiting for them just outside the front doors.

Motoko made her way down the steps and around the back of the school, her stomach fluttering. She had decided to go, even though she had no idea what to expect. _Looks like no one's here yet…_ Motoko found a bench and sat down, flattening her skirt anxiously. She had brought the stuffed mouse with her, and let it rest on her lap as she waited. _Ít would have been impolite to leave it behind, after he went through the trouble of getting it for me… _she told herself, thought in reality she had largely brought it for comfort. _Í wonder where he is? Did he forget? Or maybe he decided he was too scared to show…_ Motoko wrung her hands nervously. _Maybe I should just-_

"Miss Minagawa?"

Motoko almost jumped as a hand touched her shoulder, and got up. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there…I…" She gasped. Standing in front of her was Yuki Sohma.

"I didn't know if you would show or not", he said, his voice like music to Motoko's ears.

"Yeah, me neither…" she replied, breathless.

"But you're here", he smiled, blushing slightly. "So you remember…"

Motoko hugged the mouse to her chest, avoiding his gaze. "Umm, about that…"

Yuki's smile slowly faded into a look of sadness. "You…don't remember…?"

Motoko laughed nervously. "To tell you the truth, I don't really know what you are talking about…"

An awkward silence fell between them, Motoko staring anxiously at the ground, not wanting to look at Yuki. _I'm standing in front of Yuki Sohma…Yuki Sohma…the Prince of the high school…_ And yet Motoko wasn't all that phased. _If this had happened a year ago, I would have been ecstatic…but…but…I'm different now…_ It hurt to think like that, but it was true. Motoko wasn't the same obsessive girl she used to be. _I'm flattered that he feels something for me, and the stuffed animal is really cute, but I don't feel anything for_-

"…I knew there would be a risk…"

Motoko looked up, surprised as Yuki spoke. The silver haired teen was staring down at his hands, as though he was looking for what words to say next.

"…I knew that if I grew too close to you, it would only lead to you getting hurt…I tried to ignore it…that feeling that I had…I tried to push it away…but…but…then…" Yuki closed his eyes and smiled sadly. "…you found out…you…you accepted me…and…and I began to…" he looked up and met Motoko's gaze. Slowly, he walked towards her.

Motoko barely had time to react when suddenly Yuki's lips pressed against hers. His kiss was quick, but passionate, and when he pulled away Motoko was gasping, breathless. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face, Yuki stared straight into her eyes. "I won't give up on you…" he whispered, determinedly, before turning and walking away.

Motoko stood still, bewildered, watching as Yuki disappeared from sight. Slowly she brought a hand up to her lips. She looked down at the mouse, still sitting comfortably in her arms, plush heart clutched to it's chest. Motoko smiled. "What do you think?" she asked the mouse, smiling. "Do I still have a chance at a happily ever after?" She paused a moment, as if waiting for a reply. The mouse smiled back up at her. "I think so too…" She hugged the mouse and started walking towards her house…and her future.

**Le Fin**

* * *

(Author's Note) (Stretches) Ah, it's finally done!! J'ai fini!!! I'm sorry it took me a month to write the final chapter...I just didn't know how to end it!! Originally I planned on the ending being sad, but I got numerous comments (and one threat...yikes!) about not wanting a sad ending. Looking back over the ending, I realize it's rather cheesy...and I apologize for that (sweatdrop). I just wasn't sure how to end it... XD

Some things I'd like to comment on, so you aren't as confused:

-Arisa and Saki are said to have hung out with Motoko for awhile...this is because, it occured to me, that even if the Sohma's and Tohru couldn't go near her anymore, they wouldn't have any way to explain to Arisa or Saki as to WHY they couldn't...they can't very well say "Well, Motoko's memory was erased because she found out the Sohma curse..." (sweatdrop)

-"Tohru isn't a member of the zodiac, so why can't she still hang out with Motoko?" Good question. She may not be part of the family, but because she is so close to them, there is no way she could have remained friends with Motoko while keeping the girl away from the Sohmas. Also, she felt partially guilty for what happened, and didn't want Motoko to get hurt anymore...

-Regarding Motoko's memory...I think, more than completely erased, it's more been turned into a fog...she remembers some stuff happening, but only vaguely. Her memories regarding the Sohma family are gone, but everything else is just smokey...(this might explain why she isn't completely freaked out that her memory of the last few months is gone...it's because it's not XD)

-Yuki's kiss...I know some of you may be thinking "What, is he stupid? He could have transformed if he got too close!!" Yes, that's true, however, I think that risk was part of his thought process...if he HAD accidently transformed, Motoko would re-find out about him, and maybe this time they wouldn't be caught and she could keep her memory (nods, as if this makes sense XD)

Did I cover everything I wanted to? I can't remember...(no pun intended)

I would like to thank all of my readers...a special thanks to those of you (you know who you are), who have been around for almost the whole story (and a MAJOR apology that it took me a year and a half to finish it!!), and a greetings to all the newer readers, including ones who may be reading this AFTER it was completed. You guys don't understand how much all your comments mean to me (hugs you all). Thank you so much!! X3 I look forward to reading your input on this final chapter :3

Now that I'm done this story, I will be moving on to finishing my other stories...check them out! XD Also, I was originally planning this story to end here, however, I've recently been thinking up possible ideas for a sequel (when Motoko's in college), and I want to know what you think! Would you be interested in reading further on this, or would you rather I leave it as it is? Please note me on the matter:D

Once again, thank you...you guys are great 3

-Roxie


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